Enough is enough - the great declutter

tattycath

Hi everyone. did some decluttering in the week and today eldest DD and I took them to the recycling bins-4 bin bags full of more clothes, more bedding!!! still got loads of decluttering to do though. I have had a few slaes on ebay recently-about £60+ worth, had to pay my ebay fees though and DD wanted something for her school trip so I haven't really got much, maybe £30, got some more auctions up though, so fingers crossed.
This decluttering is ok but it's knowing where to start... I'm still trying to sort out my pantry (it will be when it's sorted) and once that is done and I've organised my stuff out of kitchen I'll know what I have and haven't got room for. Same with DDs bedroom, once it is properly decorated I'll have a better idea of what's what. I could start sorting out the booze, we seem to have accumulated about 30 bottles of spirits, champagne etc (Goodness knows where from or how old they are) but I can only see about 6 bottles that I would possibly drink. Right, that's what I'll do, I've decided, it looks such an eyesore stuck in full view of anyone who walks in. They'll think we have a drink problem, the truth is we hardly ever touch the stuff. very rarely drink in the house and even more rare for us to go out!!!

mary43

pig pen - I know just what you mean. I seem to have a bit of a clear up and suddenly there's all this 'stuff' again ! Iknow a lot of it is my own making and the spare room Iwas going to clear is now full of stuff for christmas hampers (just hope no-one wants to come and stay............lol) but I have 'hot spots' everywhere it seems. Wherever I go the 'stuff' follows me..............its like some sort of bad dream:eek:
I need to have a proper system.........did start one but then fell by the wayside. Having had a few days at my friends very tidy house while I visited my Mum I came back determined to have a real good go.............this weekend I've failed miserably so tomorrow I'll try again.
The garage is OH's domain. He says every year 'don't know where it all comes from ?' -I say we ought to get a skip !
I've put stuff on freecycle but no-one seems to want it and its too good to chuck out so that'll be yet another jaunt to the charity shop.
I'll get there, I really will................just going to take me longer than I intended it too.

verynewmoneysaver

Hi, I am at present decluttering the living room unit that we have had for twenty plus years as having new (but second hand) one this week. Found a diary from 1988:eek: Its a big unit but we are having a smaller one so have to get rid of loads of stuff.

moanymoany

For the first time in many years I can now walk across my garage. This morning dh took a carload of rubbish to the tip. We are getting there, the house will go on the market at the end of February.

On Saturday a carload of stuff went to the charity shop. It included some baskets and the ladies who run it were delighted saying they would be sold by the end of the day,

Some of the things I've chucked are long term projects that I know I will never complete. It is a great weight lifted - the guilt has gone with them.

Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

djbd1973

We've been decluttering for the last 3 weeks.
Filled up 18 bags of paper for recycling :eek: after clearing only two bedrooms.

We had a street collection for paper and put 5 bags out 2 weeks ago, 6 bags out this Friday just gone and was too embarrassed to put the other 7 bags out on Friday so went to tip... sorry, recycling centre early Saturday morning with the rest. Unfortunately, alot of the paper was shredded and I couldn't hand feed it into the small slits of the large paper bin without it all blowing all over the place so brought it all home again and it has filled the floor of my utility room. Got to wait another two weeks now. If only I could have tipped the bags in.

I did take a whole load of polystyrene from packaging, a whole load of old computer equipment, 3 boxes of cardboard and an old cupboard so gradually making room to walkabout. Also put out a large bag of clothes for Africa but need to do more though. Its embarrassing how much toot we have collected.

Charis

djbd1973 wrote: »

Unfortunately, alot of the paper was shredded and I couldn't hand feed it into the small slits of the large paper bin without it all blowing all over the place so brought it all home again and it has filled the floor of my utility room. Got to wait another two weeks now. If only I could have tipped the bags in.

If you have a compost bin, shredded paper composts beautifully. It makes good layers between grass clippings in the summer, but you can bung it in all year round. That's where I put all my shredded bank statements and bills. Got the worms working as security guards :rotfl:

missyg_3

Wow some GREAT work going on here! Well done peeps!

Pigpen - 120 items on the go, fab! I listed my 85 and on the first night I had four people email me asking me for a "buy it now" price... um, no! 11 of mine have bids, 35 have watchers so far (only up to 8 watchers). The best thing is the bids are already over £40 and my target is £100 so hopefully I might make that *fingers crossed!*

I love how you can watch your bids and synchronise everything in turbolister. Today I realised you can also revise items too (after I had corrected some listing mistakes the hard way through the website), haha

Tattycath - £30 profit is great! £30 can go a long way for an MSE'er! That's so funny about the drink, but I think it's only if the bottles are empty that people will assume you have a problem

Mary43 - every little helps! Perhaps try Freecycle again next month, as I don't know about everyone else but there seems to be LOADS going on at the moment, I think January is a big clear out month for a lot of people? Also if you are close to another Freecycle 'area' you could sign up there too? I'm on the border of three and if it doesn't get taken on one, it usually goes on one of the others.

Verynewmoneysaver & Moanymoany - keep up the good work

Djbd1973, bet you'll be glad to see the back of that paper!

Yesterday I recycled a two feet high stack of old work reports no longer required. I used to hate the amount of paper used on those, luckily they do them online now, much more sensible.

Not quite sure what to do next, I think I'm at quite an advanced stage now but I'm sure I'll find something. Can't wait until this ebay stuff is out of the way though!

nearlyrich

I haven't contributed to this thread for a while but as I have had a good weekend getting rid of clutter from my office and the loft I feel the need to tell someone LOL.

My driver was the boxes of Christmas decs etc in my office doorway which were in danger of causing an accident.

I now have a clear run into the office and room to manouvre in the loft, I need to get around to sorting out my boxes of photos and getting them digitised.

mary43

Thanks missygy - yes, every little does help I know........just seems to take such a long time before I make any difference to a room.
I belong to both freecycle and don't dump that sites so normally swap from one to the other if something doesn't go. Seems a bit like people are 'offering'' rather than 'wanting' at the minute but I've put stuff on before (plastic flower pots was one lot).........seemed to be ages, well it was then out of the blue someone wanted the whole lot !!! Couldn't believe my luck !
Took a few books to the charity shop this morning and came out with three bags full of stuff............lol Mind you thats for my christmas baskets so I can justify it. Bit by bit clearing through paperwork but had a real purge the other week and I've shredded my 'holiday sheet' and can't for the love of me remember how much holiday I've got left before April...................lol
Got some more stuff to take to the charity shop tomorrow so I might actually see the carpet in my computer room.................lol All seems to get dumped in here around me...................lol
Thanks for the encouragement............I'll do it, bit by bit..........but I will !!:j

DawnW

Charis wrote: »

If you have a compost bin, shredded paper composts beautifully. It makes good layers between grass clippings in the summer, but you can bung it in all year round. That's where I put all my shredded bank statements and bills. Got the worms working as security guards :rotfl:

I save my shredded paper for my daughter's ferrets. They like it as bedding. I think it is an extremely secure way of disposing of old bank statements etc, as nobody would want to go rummaging around in a ferrets' nest for your bank details unless you are a much, much richer person than I am! Think cat litter tray, but much worse plus all those sharp teeth:rotfl: :eek: