Enough is enough - the great declutter

missyg_3

nearlyrich wrote: »

I need to get around to sorting out my boxes of photos and getting them digitised.

Oh snap! That's my huge nightmare job which I'm putting off for the time being because I just can't face the enormity of it. I don't know if it'll be worth the time (and/or expense) of digitising them.

I guess I'll do what I can to reduce the number of pictures, sort them into subsets, and then go from there! We are talking perhaps 20,000 pictures.

Then there are the negatives too. It's just so daunting :rotfl:

djbd1973

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:

Thanks Charis. I had heard that but never tried it. I only just got a shredder in the Christmas sales (through my efforts as a tight MSer) and most of what I've shredded and been hidden in drawers and cupboards for years.

I also have two very large compost bins that are both pretty much full. I have a very active garden with trees everywhere that produces a lot of leaves etc that go into the bin and where I have continued to spread the compost around the garden, everything is visibly higher due to the amount I've put down. My compost seems to kickstart all my plants into overdrive. All the old fruit peelings, vegetable ends, tea bags all go in there and have been for years. I suggested to my Dad, who is a keen gardener, that if he ever needs some rich compost to give me a shout, and I'll fill a couple of buckets worth for him as I need to get rid of it.

If I can offload a bit of my compost then I will start to put the shredded paper in but am cautious because when I cut the grass, I run out of room in the bins and I don't have a particularly large garden.

djbd1973

missyg wrote: »

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

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!

Sounds like you're addicted to decluttering missyg. You aren't waking up in the middle of the night with ideas of what to clear next are you?..

And regards seeing the back of the paper... what paper??!?!? No seriously, I will be once its gone as it means I won't have to do an Indiana Jones impression when trying to into my utility room. Mines not 2 feet high though. That is scary :eek: .

I feel a bit like Steptoe and Son with all the bags lying around. My wife keeps talking about ebaying a lot of stuff but she is waiting for me to do it as I sold about 100 books 3 years or so ago but I don't have the time. Now if I could only just clear the mortgage and make a mint,... then I'd have the time. Now what forum is there that can help me with that I wonder?

Cheers

Little_Miss_Naughty

Count me in!

I have been meaning to do this for ages. I have dedicated one of the spare rooms as our "selling" room. Everything me or my OH puts in there means we dont want it and we can sell it.

Ebay....here i come!:rotfl:

squiggles

djbd1973 wrote: »

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.

If you know anyone with a hamster/rabbit/guinnea pig they would be able to use the shredded paper for their cages providing you removed the staples

Lemon_Tree

i use shredded paper for my my g-pigs they love it.
OH and i tackled some tidying the garden this weekend, house is still bad but at least i can look at the garden and know there's been some improvements.

Oh whilst i think about it, if you're getting rid of old towels contact your local vets, round here they often have signs out as they used them for bedding for the animals if they've had ops etc and there's never enough.

pigpen

I put shredded paper in my composter.. my mother brings me her shreddies round too.. it is the only recyclng she does.

I took a carrier of clothes to nursery..
I took a carrier of empty boxes for nursery's craft table
I binned a binbag of rubbish..


AND!!! I have another 18 things listed on turbolister for next time there is a cheapy day!

missyg wrote: »

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 have 120 listed.. 15 have bids (£50 so far!!) 42 have watchers... 2 have 19 watchers each!!!

I've only had one ask for a BIN.. but the item already had a bid so I said no and good luck if you decide to bid!! But I've had loads of other questions.. none today though.. I must have updated the auctions well enough.. the long way.. on the website lol..

Downloaded the new updates for turbolister though.. I've 2 boxes to get listed before the next cheapy day so I'm trying to get those done a few at a time.. and no doubt I could find another million things without even trying too hard.. I will be very happy with an extra £100.. but would LOVE £200 to cover a whole bill and get it paid off fully. I am actually putting all the proceeds into my savings account to pay for next christmas.. I have £60.50 saved so far! lol

Buggins

Hi - I've just joined this thread and my house and my late mother's house has got loads of stuff to shift. Can anyone point me in the direction of ebay selling instructions (for the complete novice.... don't even have a digital camera that works at the mo'). I've had a quick look at their website but just wondered if there was an idiot's guide somewhere on MSE?
Many thanks
Buggins

pigpen

Buggins.. I'd advise downloading turbolister or another listing tool they are so much simpler than doing things one at a time on the website.

Don't forget about freecycle and charity shops etc for the stuff you don't have time or energy to sell. Also the social services/salvation army dept which helps young people find homes might have use of some stuff.. they took a pile of baby stuff from a friend of mine and gave it to a young woman moving from a hostel to a house with her baby.

Buggins

Pigpen, Thanks for advice - already using Salvation Army, the hospice, the tip and the recyling boxes! Just thought that some of it could be used for financial gain. Have you got a link for turbolister and does it give instructions?
Many thanks
Buggins