Decluttering 2012, this year, definitely ...

CompletelyLost

Ditch 100 in January Challenge

38-40. 3 more amazon/ebay items sold and posted and old packaging used up :j
41-48. 8x CDs binned


48/100

Yorkielass

I'm another who agrees there is a link between mental health and clutter/shopping.

I currently do quite a bit of volunteering with several different projects, as does my husband and we don't have many free weekends - therefore we're much less likely to go to the shops through boredom on the weekends as if we have a rare weekend we're both free we like to spend time at home/go for a day out somewhere etc. Therefore I find I make far less impulse purchases.

If hoarding toiletries/cosmetics & buying too many is your problem why not join the thread on the health and beauty boards. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3702779 I did and it was so useful I no longer dash after 'bargains' and think it was good to have my own branch of boots in my bedroom! I had about 3 boxes of stuff 2 years ago and now I've got 1 small box when things I actually use have been on 3for 2 etc. So trying to stop buying things and using up what you have now is another great decluttering technique.

For example in laws gave me Molton Brown handcream for Christmas (Big surprise maybe they'd seen my bubble bath in our bathroom) and I've bought it to work and I'm using it all the time rather than 'saving it for best' which I would have probably done in the past - putting it away in a box and forgetting about it.

Anyway hope that helps someone.

Hoping to actually get some stuff out of the house over the weekend/early next week so I can increase my 100 out in January number!

monnagran

A lot of the advice we have been giving you is about cutting corners and I have 'A' levels in cutting corners, but my dear old Mum who was a real cleanie and born organiser (the cleanie gene missed me) used to say, "Look after the corners and the middles will look after themselves." It seemed to work for her, I just mention it in case it resonates with anyone. She also had a wealth of tips..beds were never unmade they were 'airing', washing was never just hanging around, it was 'soaking' (in the days befor WMs). But the one which I have found most useful is, ' spray polish on the radiators. If people smell the polish they never look for dust.'

Perhaps her reputation was unmerited!:rotfl:

Basically, as long as the kitchen and bathroom are clean I wouldn't worry overmuch about the rest, just do what you can when you can and get on with living your life. There will be time enough when the littlies are at school for faffing about with the 'Ideal Home'.
In the meantime remember what miracles you can perform with a damp cloth and a swoosh round with the vac.;)

CompletelyLost

Yorkielass I think you have the right idea by filling in your time so that you have less free time to go shopping (esp if it's shopping for leisure rather than purpose).

There's nothing better than the feeling of using things up... as I have found by doing my own little "use up" challenge (not just toiletries... everything basically). Maybe it's the thought of knowing I can go out and buy fresh new stuff once I've used up the old stuff which spurs me on :S

vasseur

Ben84 wrote: »

It would be great to have more time, but then again it may not be needed. Small amounts of time added up are just as good if you don't need instant results in a couple of days.

My kitchen cleaning pretty much takes place while making coffee a couple of times a day, because in the time it takes to boil the kettle, pour it out and wait five minutes for it to cool down before drinking it, I can usually wash up some things, clean the counters or the cooker top. By the end of the week the only things I may need to do are the floor or inside the oven.

I try to make use of small amounts of time in general. It helps a lot to get a cleaning tray/bucket and put a collection of useful things in it (gloves, cloths, detergent, polish) so you can pull it out and instantly have everything to hand anywhere in the house. Also saves cluttering the rooms up with cleaning things. So many people have bottles of loo cleaner all over the bathroom that have become a dust catcher and old gloves hanging off pipes. If you have a cleaning bucket you really can spend ten minutes cleaning and get something started and finished, rather than waste ten minutes every time you do any cleaning looking for things and carrying stuff around.

Also, do you have a bin in every room and a dirty laundry basket in each bedroom. It helps me a lot to have places to collect stuff like this as it turns up, otherwise it just spreads out everywhere and never finds its way to the bin or the washing machine.

This ^^^^^^ is all excellent advice.

Another thing I have found which might sound completely ridiculous is not to 'plan' to clean. Whenever I have cleaned my fridge out it has always happened completely by accident (usually because something has spilled and in the course of mopping up a small section I have emptied the whole thing and cleaned the lot out )

Also I think the thought of having to do a gruesome chore is often worse than the reality which is why things get left. Just tackle things in small sections. Once you start you won't want to stop!

Once your house is de-cluttered you'll feel more inclined to keep it that way.

It's such a lovely feeling going out for the day knowing you are coming home to a tidy house

dinx1972

Bit of an odd day today, with not much of anything being done!

Still managed to declutter a couple of little bits though

11. 1 pair of beyond darning holey socks into bin.
12. 1 pair of old glasses into Vision Aid bin at Specsavers.
13. Yet another Robinsons Fruit shoot kit to after school club.
14. Yet another towel lurking at the bottom of the ironing basket, returned to work.

That takes my decluttering efforrts up to 14/100, which takes me over 1 item a day for January.:rotfl:

Tomorrow is another day!

spiddy100

Thanks, Yorkielass - I had a bit of a clearout of my bathroom cupboard but couldn't bring myself to throw much away as it is all good stuff that I need and will use. I do find that I save lovely things "for best" or even for going on holiday (!) rather than using them so I need to actually enjoy them I think. Made a start by opening all my christmas smellies - yay.

I got another good charity bag through the door today and had a root in the bottom of my wardrobe. Cleared out a few old bags (mostly CS or freebies), a couple of pairs of old shoes (one gorgeous red pair bought from a CS but wrongly marked and don't even fit me - but loved them so much I kept them even though I couldn't get my foot in them!). Have decided that if my stuff that's for sale on FB doesn't go this weekend I will put all the smaller stuff in the bag and put it out on Monday. It's all for a good cause and I did decide that in 2012 I needed the space more than the few quid I would get for selling them.

short_bird

53 to 62) 10 books to a bookbuying company; some items on Amazon for ages and not sold.

Catslovelycats

Ditch 100 in January

Here's today's update. Number 42 is a large Sainsbury's bag that has sat filled with ornaments and pictures since I moved here (Feb 2010!!). I had forgotten the 5 cat ornaments and have put them on eBay as I think I can sell them for a £5er each - hopefully. Nice surprise!

40. Bag FULL of clothes – charity bag collection (DIDN'T GET COLLECTED SO SHALL TAKE TO CS TOMORROW)
41. 5 sale items returned – Next courier
42. Emptied annoying box of pictures & ornaments:
a. 5 cat ornaments – eBay
b. set of 12 pictures – put on wall
c. 2 creature comforts – chucked
d. 3 creature comforts – car boot box
e. 1 creature comfort – put on display
43. Black bag of rubbish from office - chucked
44. CD racks x3 – Friday Ad (car boot box if no sale)
45. Bottle of baby shampo0 - gifted

Have put my creature comforts in car boot box, keeping 1 and chucking 2 damaged ones. Have decided to keep the Peter Fagan ornaments when I have made some shelf space from book decluttering! I've got loads more pictures, but the 12 I have are ones I made myself and have found a space for them. Just need to put them up! So nice to not have the bag hanging around!

Not sure I posted this yesterday:

Bag of rubbish from sideboard & kitchen drawers – bin
35. Lots of pens – gifted
36. Cancelled 2 old ccs – returned to banks
37. Old VHS recordings – chuck
38. Cleared & tidied DVD cupboard – charity shop, chuck & Zapper
39. CDs - moved from rack into cupboard

System

De-cluttering! Just what I need! I've been doing the usual thing of moving stuff from one room to another which clearly is getting me no-where. I found this thread on the sealed pot thread and it seems ideal. I probably won't be able to keep track of how many things I clear out but I'll keep dropping in for inspiration if I may.

Please excuse the constant editing of posts - my www keeps dropping out and I lose everything cos I can't work out how to save them.

My plan is to get rid of lots of little electrical items like sat nav, mp3 player etc that are outdated - also rip CDs onto laptop then dispose of them. And weed my books. And clothes. And clear out the shed when it's warmer. And wear some of the clothes I save for 'best'. I think that's all for now.

Thanks for the inspiration folks, and good luck with your de-cluttering

By the way do I need a number? Or just add this thread to my sig?

Rosy