Enough is enough - the great declutter

pigpen

ARGH!!! I have lost one of my ebay things.. and I have trashed my house in the process of looking for it.. but.. I have found another item.. the one I was going to look for next!! I then get all carried away with myself and started clearing a worksurface in the kitchen.. now not that my kitchen is a mess.. well.. one work surface is.. but...

I have.. 1 binbag for charity shop.. a carrier for nursery.. 2 carriers to recycle AND another 10 things to ebay.. PHEW!!! I now have about 20 tea towels!! lol AND a binbag of rubbish!!

Looks like my mind is back on chucking out and getting rid.. fabulous!!

I can't quite decide whether to bite the bullet and sell my knitting books.. what do we think?

kscour

Bad day today in alot of ways. DD1 still ill and very time consuming (that sounds awful but shes got a very sore throat and terrible cough and she feels miserable and bad tempered and nothing is right) self employed so I'm tending to her and trying to do the minimum of work to keep my head above water (including pre arranged visit from bank manager) and then DD2 comes in from school and needs help with homework NOW! and everything is a crisis and she can't remember how to do anything and then there's dependant child No.3 (OH!) to contend with as well. So not alot done today:rolleyes: Did have a start in the kitchen and total is now up to 15 stone 11 lb. Cleared probably 1/2 kitchen units and although they weren't too bad to begin with it has made a difference.

djbd1973 - re: signature, I've been off the site quite a few months due to work but there is a thread started by cooltrikerchick something like "one month without a supermarket challenge" can honestly say it was the best thing I've ever done and although I have drifted back towards Tesco slightly over the last few hectic months more than 70% of my shopping is local village shop/ high street now and it's cheaper and sooo much nicer.

Charis/moanymoany/missyg - ok I've gained nearly a stone since September and that weight has to go so in that sense the clothes need to stay. However you've made me think long and hard about the wardrobe situation - I can (with pain and lack of breath sometimes:o ) squeeze in the clothes I was wearing in Sept. So the weight thing isn't really an issue - sounds good but that's all! It doesn't explain why I have a fleece jacket in there which I haven't worn for at least 5 years!
September till now covers all weather types & all events - parties etc so I'm going to be brave and if I haven't worn something since last summer it's going. Honest it's definately going! and if I have an issue with a particular item I'll be straight on here for a kick up the bum. Wish I had a shoe problem though I've got size 7.5 - 8 feet with a wide fit and if I find a pair that fit I wear them until my toes are sticking out the ends:D

Good luck all!

kscour

pigpen wrote: »

I can't quite decide whether to bite the bullet and sell my knitting books.. what do we think?

Do you use them?
If you've not used them in the past year, will you have time in the coming year? (I'm getting into this aren't I!!!)
If you can go through and there are only 1 or 2 patterns you think you might need then photocopy them and book can go (next year you'll then probably bin the photocopies!)

chardonnay_2

for anyone struggling to get rid of items on freecycle, try listing them as a box, job lot suitable for car booters and i bet you'll have them fighting over your stuff

pigpen

kscour wrote: »

Do you use them?
If you've not used them in the past year, will you have time in the coming year? (I'm getting into this aren't I!!!)
If you can go through and there are only 1 or 2 patterns you think you might need then photocopy them and book can go (next year you'll then probably bin the photocopies!)

Nope.. I've not done any knitting in the last 18 months at least.. probably longer!!!!

I could scan them onto the pc couldn't I.. and print off when I want to use them.. RIGHT.. I'm up for that!!!

That'll empty a stacking box as well.. a box which I have had in the back room largely untouched for the better part of 3 years!! :eek:

Tomorrow.. I am getting out my shredder I asked for and received at christmas and is as yet.. unused!!! I have a new credit card to go through first! Apart from the credit card.. the paper can go in the composter.. it needs some more dry stuff in.

Oooh... I also missed off... I have started a bag of tombola stuff for the school mothers day fayre as well!! *FLING*!!! I'm on one tonight!

missyg_3

Morning everyone! I love catching up with this thread and seeing what everyone's been up to. I went round every room of the house last night and cobbled together about 2 boxes worth of stuff for ebay, perhaps £75 worth if I'm lucky?! Going to get photographing shortly.

Pigpen, I've had the same as you at the post office this week - been in three times Monday and twice yesterday! I have to say they have been really nice and helpful Oh, I hope you find the lost thing! As for knitting books - only you know if you're likely to want to use them again! If it's one of those really tough decisions, then I'd say leave it for now and do something else! Wow, you are on a MISSION there with all the stuff you're doing!

Vivw, I do include pictures of everything and it is quite time consuming but not if you give yourself a few days lead time. You could clean and prepare the stuff one day, photograph them the next, do the listing wordings the next, and then spend another day checking and reviewing it all. Thanks to the folks on here I discovered turbolister too which really makes life easier!

Mary43, two drawers cleared out is fantastic! If you don't fancy ebay what about a car boot sale? It sounds like you have quite a few little treasures that you could probably get some money for.

Hi Melvis, look forward to hearing how you're getting on! Hope your ebaying goes well.

Miro, I'm sure I recognise your username, maybe from the ebay forum which I read quite a lot (but don't post much). Very happy to have such an experienced and successful ebayer here! Four figures is brilliant!

Jw1096, thanks for your reply. My digital photo library is really well organised, it the pre-digital stuff that's a mess - three decades of photos and negatives. I will need to tackle this job soon but the main consideration is making sure the effort put in is worth the end result!

Kscour, sorry about your bad day yesteday. Well done on your resolve to sort the wardrobe though! It will be worth it I promise! I lost three stone last year and went down three dress sizes, so I even had to get rid of some newly-bought stuff halfway through! Madness. There isn't anything at all in there more than 7 months old now!

Chardonnay, I like the tip about the car boot job lot, that's exactly what I intend to do after I have exhausted every other option (including car booting them myself!)

Uniscots97

Another item gone (elephant ornament). Ok, only a few pounds at a time I'm getting but it'll mount up.

Tibbie's_mum

I'm in need of some moral support.....I'm gradually going through my clutter and doing fairly well on Ebay, for a change. Anyway, it's now come time to put my little one's moses basket up for sale, the last couple of times it has been carefully wrapped up and put in the attic for next time, but there isn't going to be a next time!!!! My kids drive me mad and I couldn't cope with another, but it is so final clearing out all the baby stuff!!! I need some positive vibes to get thru' this!!!!!

pigpen

I just parcelled up my moses basket.. (£14.99 postage !!) I sold my crib a few months ago.. Don't think about it.. just do it.. If I had sat and thought about all the what if's I'd never get rid of anything.. it is just an object taking up space.. and it is added incentive NOT to have more when you realise you have to buy EVERYTHING again!!

My moses basket is being collected today to go to its new owner..

Uniscots97

Tibbie's_mum wrote: »

I'm in need of some moral support.....I'm gradually going through my clutter and doing fairly well on Ebay, for a change. Anyway, it's now come time to put my little one's moses basket up for sale, the last couple of times it has been carefully wrapped up and put in the attic for next time, but there isn't going to be a next time!!!! My kids drive me mad and I couldn't cope with another, but it is so final clearing out all the baby stuff!!! I need some positive vibes to get thru' this!!!!!

If you're not ready to get rid of it don't. My Mum couldn't bear to part with some of my baby things and she has hung onto them hoping she'll get to pass them onto me.