Enough is enough - the great declutter

RedSpecs

Anyway, so my decluttering's fallen flat on its @rse. Haven't really done anything more since the washing pile triumph.

Think I need a smaller challenge than the spare bedroom to get me motivated. Possibly continue the success of the washing pile by clearing the end of the kitchen. One end I've managed to keep nice, where the washing up and cooking is done :j The other end is like Stalingrad, where the washing and rarely-used kitchen implements live. The bread-maker is there, and the food processor, but there's very little room for anything to be workable unfortunately.

Or indeed I could turn my attentions to the living room or dining room.

Its like anything, the hardest part is getting going and building up the momentum. I'm sure I'll be fine once I get going, but that's proving pretty difficult right now. Our neighbours are being really bad :mad: (can't use the words I wanna there for decency purposes) and other personal things getting me down. Feeling a bit sorry for myself generally.

pigpen

cat.. I love the recycling.. it leaves so much mroe room in my wheelie bins for junk!!! I take my recycling out daily as we have loads.. tins and milk cartons etc.. The boxes etc I keep until I have a carrier full then whisk them off to nursery for junk modelling.. and I have 2 big cauldrons in my cupboard.. one for recycling and one for school.. the bin is on the bottom shelf.

I need to fill another binbag to leave the house..

kaleoma

pigpen wrote: »

cat.. I love the recycling.. it leaves so much mroe room in my wheelie bins for junk!!! I take my recycling out daily as we have loads.. tins and milk cartons etc.. The boxes etc I keep until I have a carrier full then whisk them off to nursery for junk modelling.. and I have 2 big cauldrons in my cupboard.. one for recycling and one for school.. the bin is on the bottom shelf.

I need to fill another binbag to leave the house..

Wow I though I was organised!

missyg_3

Congratulations Dobs!

Hello everyone, I've still been furiously getting stuff out to the Post Office, but it's all looking good now! I've relisted 40 CDs that didn't sell, as buy it now this time to see if that helps finally shift them.

Car boot sale is next weekend and after that I don't think there'll be much else I need to do, I'll have pretty much reached the minimal amount of stuff in my house. What will I do then?

Stampyfoot - Turblolister has revolutionised ebay for me this year, there's no way I could have done what I've done without it (I'm up to £1,200 year to date now!) I do keep hearing good things about Auctiva too!

Bellaquidsin - Interesting point you raise about being MSE & keeping things in case they are needed. I think it depends on the individual's point of view. The less I have in the house, the more I want to keep it like that, so the less I spend on 'pointless' things. Also the clearout will net me over £1k after fees, and that's quite a lot of moola earning nice interest compared to keeping things 'just in case'. As for clothes, I lost weight last year and maintaining the loss is a big part of my MSE plans so that I don't end up with lots of different sizes in the wardrobe (or spend as much on food!) So that's how I reconcile it!

Cat64 - I love recycling! Our council doesn't do much of a recycling collection, so we divert from the school walk to the local car park a couple of times a week as there is a collection point there. Extra exercise walking and carrying, no clutter at home, and no cost to the environment by doing it on foot - wins all round!

Hmm, what shall I do now?

Craftyscholar

Craftyscholar wrote: »

Just found a box with about 150 slides. Not sure if I still have a viewer.

Found viewer. Replaced batteries and found myself taking a trip down Memory Lane:eek:
No I do not want to be reminded what I looked like 30 years ago:eek::eek:
150 slides reduced to 70 - very easily (where was that? who was that??)
Can probably get rid of some more when I go through them again - 'Do I really want to spend money saving that one?
Have found a home for the old projector and screen on Freecycle.

missyg_3

Craftyscholar - sounds a bit like what I was up to all last week! It is amazing how easy it is to reduce them, I found.

You've just reminded me that a friend from overseas wanted me to scan the pics from when we travelled together, so I'll do that right now!

dobs

lol tattycath the baby doesn't really eat poo (though he mightwhen he gets to being a toddler you know what little boys are like!)

Am glad to see so many of you have 3 or more children, people acted like we were mad when we said we were having number 3 other halfs dad even had the cheek to tell him to put his pecker away!!!

Anyway have spent a half hour sorting out what maternity clothes i can get rid of for now and will ebay them over the weekend hopefully as hubby very good this week and taking my other two out everyday- oh the peace and quiet! Plus i thought that if i get rid of all the pregnancy/baby stuff as soon as it is grown out of etc that might help me accept more that this little one has to be our last (due to health and financial problems!)But its so hard i love newborns!!

Anyway fingers crossed have about 12 things for ebay and next week hope to sort some more stuff out of the garage for the charity shop. Could have car booted lots i know but i really hate them and the way people sniff at the stuff or jump in the boot as soon as it opens!

kaleoma

missyg wrote: »

Congratulations Dobs!

Hello everyone, I've still been furiously getting stuff out to the Post Office, but it's all looking good now! I've relisted 40 CDs that didn't sell, as buy it now this time to see if that helps finally shift them.

Car boot sale is next weekend and after that I don't think there'll be much else I need to do, I'll have pretty much reached the minimal amount of stuff in my house. What will I do then?

Stampyfoot - Turblolister has revolutionised ebay for me this year, there's no way I could have done what I've done without it (I'm up to £1,200 year to date now!) I do keep hearing good things about Auctiva too!

Bellaquidsin - Interesting point you raise about being MSE & keeping things in case they are needed. I think it depends on the individual's point of view. The less I have in the house, the more I want to keep it like that, so the less I spend on 'pointless' things. Also the clearout will net me over £1k after fees, and that's quite a lot of moola earning nice interest compared to keeping things 'just in case'. As for clothes, I lost weight last year and maintaining the loss is a big part of my MSE plans so that I don't end up with lots of different sizes in the wardrobe (or spend as much on food!) So that's how I reconcile it!

Cat64 - I love recycling! Our council doesn't do much of a recycling collection, so we divert from the school walk to the local car park a couple of times a week as there is a collection point there. Extra exercise walking and carrying, no clutter at home, and no cost to the environment by doing it on foot - wins all round!

Hmm, what shall I do now?

Missyg Auctiva is great free super images free scheduling-just a bit slow at times but give it a go-you can personalise loads of stuff and just pull it in to the listin oh and another thing free templates and you can list up to 24 pics in one listing-thing how much that would cost through ebay!

missyg_3

Dobs it's good to hear having the baby hasn't slowed you down too much! You're not filling me with much confidence about this car boot sale I'm supposed to be doing next weekend though I've only done one once before, years ago, and it was pretty good but I don't think I could do them often.

Two of my CDs have sold on ebay overnight, only 37 to go! Today I'm going through my travel books and maps, target is to halve the books and AT LEAST halve the maps. Both have already been done once, so this is the second pass. These will bypass ebay and go straight to car boot

I have a bit of paperwork to do first but I will report back later. Have a good day everyone!

Clutterfree

May I join in with you all please?
Although my user name suggests otherwise, I am a huge hoarder and my house is bursting at the seams. I thought this user name would give me inspiration but my get up and go appears to have got up and gone.
Anyway, had a huge "light bulb moment" :idea: last week - my parents need to downsize due to illness so we went to help sort out all the clutter. My step-mum is a huge hoarder/collector and it is going to take months to get through all the stuff she has collected. It was then it hit me - that will be me in 25 years time if I don't get my backside in gear!!! :eek:
My house, on the surface, doesn't look too bad but shoved in drawers and cupboards are bags and boxes of stuff that needs sorting that I have "tidied away". :rolleyes:

I know I have a huge task ahead of me, but I am going to try it in little steps to begin with - sort one box/bag/drawer etc per day. I know it will take a while but it is a start.

Todays task: 1 wicker basket full of paperwork that needs filing and/or shredding.

Good luck everyone in your quests!

CF xx

PS Please be firm with me as I will use any excuse to miss a day so I give you all permission to give me a swift kick up the backside when required!!