The Great Declutter Part 2

valk_scot

Well, you don't need to keep that amount of equipment and stores to be OS to be honest. I have six cake tins, one mixer and one set of biscuit cutters for example, never keep more jamjars than I know I'll use (about 3 dozen, tops) and though I keep a fair amount of foodstuff in stock I've only got one big larder cupboard for foodstuffs and if it gets too full I stop buying for a while until I've caught up with myself. In fact it's against the principles of OS to have excessive amounts of equipment and foodstuffs that will probably never be used before they go off! Rather it's about buying what you'll need and use, and getting maximum value out of them. So by all means have a good declutter and get rid of all the bits and bobs you don't use, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being oS. Quite the opposite, actually!

mardatha

I hate clutter. I could happily live in a room with only a deep pile carpet, a big cosy sofa, and a pot plant A kitchen full of gadgets and clutter would drive me insane. Shove it all on Freecycle when the snow goes and people can get out for it !

ceridwen

That is rather a lot of cake tins:rotfl:

We will all have different priorities here. Personally - I would stick to the breadmaking (MUCH cheaper than buying bread from an artisan baker! Bearing in mind that artisan bakers seem to be the only ones that don't add non food ingredients to their bread - flour improvers for instance - then carrying on doing my own bread would be high priority to me. There are recipes that are very quick/easy to do. My own, for instance, only takes about 5 minutes to do, then I leave it to rise for 40 minutes, then bake it for 40 minutes.

Cake-making and jam-making - well I'd just forget about cakes altogether (anyone else who was gasping for one would just have to buy one from a W.I. stall or whatever other avenue was open). Jam-making - I just don't do that. Life is too short - so I buy readymade jam (in my case sugar-free spread) and decent-quality honey.

I would think through exactly what I had in stock. An Old Style Storecupboard is very necessary IMO - we have only just all seen the virtues of this again with the current weather having kept/still keeping many of us pretty housebound for quite a long stretch of time. You could maybe rationalise a bit - eg only one type of vinegar, one type of oil, etc - but make sure there are plenty of "basics" (like flour, "filler foods" such as rice/couscous/pasta) and so on.

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

I hate clutter. I could happily live in a room with only a deep pile carpet, a big cosy sofa, and a pot plant A kitchen full of gadgets and clutter would drive me insane. Shove it all on Freecycle when the snow goes and people can get out for it !

You wouldnt want my house then Mardatha???:D:rotfl:- with its 24 shelves of reference books and as for the kitchen......(well - lets just say that I am having to try and cram a normal kitchens' worth of food and equipment into one small/inadequate little kitchen....). A "meal compiler" could manage in my kitchen - ie someone who lived off readymeals and freezer foods and only a pretty limited range of that. A "cook"/would-be gourmet such as myself hasnt got a hope in h*ll of doing anything other than "making the best of a bad job" of that awful little kitchen....:(

mardatha

I have cupboards full of books yes. But books & plants are not clutter !:rotfl: I just cant stand "stuff" lying around, maybe I'm going batty with that disease where you line up all yer soup tins with the labels facing the same way..
It must be the RV's fault

Mrs_Bones

I think like others have said you just need to think what OS bits are important to you and do some serious decluttering. I only keep 6 jars in for making chutney as thats enough for me. I've got a garden full of fruit but can't stand jam making so let my cousin have the fruit and I get a couple of jars of jam off her in exchange. I like cake making but only own 2 cake tins and a loaf tin, you'd need to make an awful lot of cakes to have 23 tins and why would you need 2 mixers? I do like to keep a well stocked store cupboard but thats because I often can't get out, especially when the weather is bad, for me though being OS is about making life easier and slowing my life down to a more simpler time, not more complicated, it doesn't mean you have to do everything or be completely self sufficent unless you want to be.

tori.k

Its just finding the balance that suits you.
Personally i wouldn't want to go back to the 50's housewife i couldn't do it with working 12 hour shifts, i take what suits me out of OS, i make bread by hand as i enjoy it but i still buy in a couple a week so it doesn't become a chore to me, the only extras i make is doubled up meals that im cooking anyway, and i will stick a cake or scones in at the same time.
To me OS is something that should be enjoyed, taking some time out of a hectic world to do someting creative and pleasurable, if it causes stress its not worth it

mineallmine

mineallmine wrote: »

1.-32. As above.

33.- 62. As above.

62 items gone so far, woo hoo! Will look at bedding we have, airing cupboard has stuff falling out of it. Best of luck everyone with decluttering. I'm hoping I'll find it easier to keep everything tidier if there is less stuff.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day and I'm feeling I gotta blitz again today. The lounge was looking better yesterday so this is making a difference. Sometimes I resent how long it's taking but hopefully I'll be able to do small but regular decluttering in the future. With a full house, loft, understairs cupboard and garage that may be a little while off but house first. And walking into a charity shop with loads of stuff always feels good.

63. 64. Toiletries (charity)
65. Toiletries used up as part of challenge, packaging not recyclable (bin)
66.67. Rubbish from bedroom (bin)
68. Returning something to a company (outta here!)
69.70. Unwanted xmas pressies regifted (friends)
71. Eye drops - old (bin)
72.73. Xmas pressies finally gifted (friends)
74.75.76.77. Rubbish (bin)
78.79.80.81.82.83. 84. Brochure/packaging/used up toiletries (recycling)
84.85.86.87.88.89.90.91.92.93.94.95.96.97.98.99.100. More rubbish (bin)

Up to 100 things, woo hoo. Found a perfume which I'd asked OH to buy me for Christmas, so now I have two!

Right, quick break.

Gers

Been to CS with a big plastic storage box, a crystal ornament, a paperweight and 2 old/retro saucepans. Also decluttered the empty booze bottles from Christmas - mind you, brought some full ones in to replace them so not sure that's been very effective!

adelight

what about capsule OS? pick out the best cake tins (err a loaf tin, a sponge one and a muffin tray?) and pop the rest on freecycle. only collect jars aas you approach jam making, and do a whip round family/friends for any spare jars so you aren't chocka with them all year round.