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The Great Declutter Part 3 - 2011

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  • Hi,

    Just been taking a look at your thread. It's great and has made me think I need to get this house organised. Felineprincess I also live in a two up two down house and storage is a problem we need to overcome. Well the other half does as he will be building some! We also have no attic. I have two small boys too so toys seem to take over at the moment.

    Please could I join and maybe you will all motivate me to work hard this year.

    I was so amazed that you could fit into a '2 up 2 down' with 2 small boys that I googled it to find I had the meaning wrong - I thought it was a house with 2 rooms upstairs and 2 downstairs - therefor bathroom and bedroom, living room and kitchen but I know understand it means 2 bedrooms and 2 reception rooms. Turns out I live in a 1 up 1 down! Must be a nightmare living in a small house with 2 boys. Anyway, welcome aboard! Whats your first project?

    Today I took 2 very full carrier bags of bits and bobs to the charity shop, been out all day so no de-cluttering done just yet but hope to finish clearing the shelves so they can go charity shop tomorrow. Would also like to get some things photographed ready to go on ebay if I have time/can be bothered.
  • enjoyfinancialchallenges
    enjoyfinancialchallenges Posts: 244 Forumite
    edited 6 January 2011 at 1:14AM
    Hi, Ive just found this thread and would love to join in, I'm already on the frugal living site and would really love to clear out my clutter. I don't plan on throwing things away for the sake of it but will first try and use up. For instance I buy new moisturizers and use the new one before Iv'e finished the old so need I need to try and sort like with like and use up one thing before moving on to the next. I have already committed myself to eating as far as possible from my freezers, no doubt I will have some very creative meals for a few weeks/months! I'm trying also to consider each thing I touch for its future, for instance is it so useless/old/broken that it has to be binned straight away or will I make use of it in the next few weeks or shall I take it to the cs or will somebody else be able to make use of it. Its not going to be easy I know but logging in to this site will hopefully help to keep me motivated.

    I had my loft converted into two rooms and a wet room about five years ago, one room to use as a studio but due to the stress of the 'builders from hell' my motivation dived to zero and since then one room is slowly filling up with empty boxes, stock piled groceries, toilet rolls and papers, a sort of local supermarket shop. I also have a few pictures I've painted that I could sell off to help the decluttered frugal lifestyle I wish to achieve. The other room I keep fairly clear for friends to stay in.
    My studio also has two clothes airers in so my washing dries in the bad weather. Its a lovely room with a wonderful view and I want to clear it in the next few months and start painting again as intended. The cupboards are full of my painting equipment and other stuff so its not going to cost a lot to get back into my hobby, just my motivation.

    Anyway I'd love to lurk a bit and possibly post when I have something amazing to report such as a neat tidy room!
    Keep to £400 a month on C/C.
    :j
  • mineallmine
    mineallmine Posts: 3,053 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    dizzybuff - those wardrobes can wait, baby wants a nap! Take it easy :)

    welcome and hello to all newbies :jand lurkers :j

    :money:Now some might say or ask what's decluttering got to do with MSE and moneysaving? In my journey of a thousand steps or getting rid of 1,700 items last year I found:
    - money in birthday cards
    - forgotten about presents that I hadn't used yet
    - "stuff" I'd been looking for and had bought duplicates of
    - things to give to friends and family to help them out during these tough times
    - a realisation you can only have so much stuff and too much can spoil your home as you can't use it how you'd like to
    - that if you want (or need) to move home every box of "stuff" you get rid of is one less box to move or have moved by a removals company
    - that freecycle is a wonderful way to home awkward stuff that a charity shop may not be able to sell - such as old leads, PC bits. I gave away old battered saucepans (ideal for someone camping), old phone chargers, garden stuff, old duvets (snapped up by dog rescues). And I received some fitness equipment, clothes airers and a leather cover for my work phone. :A
    - that leaving furniture outside the house with a sign saying - free please take me home - has helped some neighbours.

    A forum member - loopychris I think it was - on the old thread said about the idea of getting rid of 100 things in 10 days. As Callisto says it's 10 items a day. I don't try to count stuff that I'd normally get rid of or recycle - so this is all about finding stuff you just don't need.

    So let's get decluttering! :j
    :) Declutter 300 things in December challenge, 9/300. Clear the living room. Re-organize storage
    :cool2: Cherryprint: "More stuff = more stuff to tidy up!"
    Less things. Less stuff. More life.
    :heart: Fab thread: Long daily walks
  • Hi all think I'm going to try and join you all :) our house isn't that bad but we have a 17 month old with another due in march and in all honesty I'm panicking about getting any of the baby stuff out as we literally have no where to put it :o

    Our house goes on the market in the next couple of weeks as we do need somewhere bigger but I'm conscious that we need to clear as much carp as we can so we don't end up with another full house and of course our current house needs to look as spacious as possible ready for any viewings.

    Did make a start before xmas by free cycling 3 boxes I've been saying I'll car boot for 4 years and have never got round to! But with all of the new toys etc that came in over xmas I feel I've gone worse than I was before!

    One of our main problems is books like many have mentioned so I'm going to see what I can do there also I'm terrible for saying oh that might come in handy one day which we all know it won't!

    So this evening I've made a start on the dining room so far:
      box full of recycling 2 bags of next stuff my mum ordered droped off Various things in the bin A bag of old cooking and study books ready to drop off to the charity shop tomorrow

    Not a bad start, dinner now and then back to the dining room rather than vegging out in front of the tv!
    You laugh because I'm different - I laugh because you're all the same
  • ejs2311
    ejs2311 Posts: 162 Forumite
    I've made a start;

    * Sorted a chest of drawers
    * Recycled loads of packaging I was saving for Ebay (was taking over the spare room - even I don't need that much!)
    * Donated some carboot stuff to the charity shop
    * Filled a charity bag that came through the door
    * Packed away the Christmas stuff and decluttered the boxes first!

    Have definitely got rid of more than my 10 things today - looking forwards to doing it again tomorrow!
    Cross Stitch Cafe 2011 - no 58 :A
    13 Projects in 2013 - 5/13 Complete :j
    MBNA Card - 0% til July 13 - £2900 to go :mad:
    Barclaycard - 0% - £1845 to go :(
  • gillian62
    gillian62 Posts: 372 Forumite
    36/100
    Today 6 items of clothing - recycling
    5 plates - all cracked, chipped or old
    1 book
    48/100
  • castri09_2
    castri09_2 Posts: 261 Forumite
    ive decided on starting on the kids rooms we have sorted all their books (loads to go) dressing up clothes and some toys. need to sort out the rest of the toys, clothes,bedding and anything else in their rooms
    :j
  • smudge56
    smudge56 Posts: 690 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 5 January 2011 at 8:53PM
    I started to declutter just before Christmas and have four black bags of stuff to sell - A few people in work have used these people to get rid of clothes, curtains, duvet covers, shoes & belts and got paid for them.
    http://www.cashforclothing.co.uk/#/cash-for-clothing/4537131964
    One girl got around £40 and a friend of my sister got £80 (must have lot of old clothes lol)
    Don't know if this has been mentioned before - didn't read all the posts - apologies if I have duplicated
  • I was having a declutter of spare room this time last year as stuff had got chucked in until you couldn't even walk in...some got freecycled or recycled (we have a good council service including rags and much plastic) also I borrowed and bought some tall shelves- so 1st incentive= by the end all was boxed nicely and stored so I could find everything and most of the floor area was clear. I seemed to have kept everything for spare eg not just the last telephone and hoover I had, but the one before that even if a bit broken...one spare is enough.

    Anyway- the 2nd incentive= found a case of wine I'd forgotten I'd bought! well just because there's a wine sellers box in this house doesn't mean it's got wine in it!

    3rd incentive= by this autumn I could face redecorating main bedroom not done for 20 years, managed to completely clear that big room's furniture into 2nd bedroom, spare room & landing so could have replastering, cornice fitting & floor sanding done- its coming on very well, all painted, need to finish the curtains & start furniture renovation but at least I've got room to work.

    So I say go for it!
  • Callisto
    Callisto Posts: 928 Forumite
    In

    Body lotion, new top, necklace/earring set and pyjamas (the last two were from last week, but forgot to declare them as in!)

    Would have been more clothes in, as was waiting for a delivery all morning. As soon as I decided to go upstairs, the courier appeared, knocked the door, put the card in the letterbox and legged it at lightning speed. Anybody would think they didn't want to give their parcels away! :mad: So now have to wait in all Friday afternoon, too terrified to leave the front door as this is the final delivery attempt!

    So, continuing from yesterday's efforts:

    8. Magazine recycled
    9. Packaging from make up gift set recycled
    10. Leaflets recycled
    11. Rock hard out of date sponge fingers binned (not really a trifle fan!)
    12. Top added to charity bag
    13. Argos catalogue recycled

    Must try harder tomorrow!
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