Decluttering 2013, the saga continues ...

Goldiegirl

mumlady1 wrote: »

Hi everyone, thanks for the welcome
I think you're right cte1111, I do need to ask myself why I struggle to give things away. Hmm, only child, not good at sharing, influenced by granny who wasted nothing, lol.
Ok, have had a good think and have decided to do the job in 10 or 15 minute chunks, 1 room at a time until its clear!
Right, I'm going in... If I'm not out in 15 minutes, someone come and rescue me (preferably with a cup of tea and a biscuit :rotfl: )

Hi, mum lady, welcome

As well as this thread, you might also want to consider the Hoarding thread. I've found that thread really helpful - it's helped me analyse and understand why I've been keeping things for years, which I didn't really need.

Definitely agree with doing the decluttering in bite sized chunks.

It's amazing what can be achieved over time, when you do little and often!

vikki_louise

Declutted a stuffed carrier bag full tonight while watching a program on a hoarder! Does anyone remember the program 'the life laundry', they used to empty out people's houses (not including the loft which was no doubt also cluttered) and spread it out in a big hall or garden then the owner could see everything and also put it back into the house in some kind of order. Can't help but wish that was a possibility. Last night I gave away one of my favourite gift bags and 5mins later found an identical one, I never knew I had 2 and had just been alternating them (people who know me well give gift bags back to me!). Also sold my first thing on eBay for years, a wii game we didn't like and I got the same amount I paid for it which was good
I hope everyone had a productive week.

deborah007

Hi all

thanks for all your posts - I read every day but normally only post at the weekend. You have all been very busy!!

I have been taking it easy this weekend. I have managed to persuade myself to part with a mirror that the previous owner left in the house and which I have been meaning to paint for my bedroom. I have accepted that after 3 and a half years of it gathering dust down the side of the chest of drawers it has to go!

I also cleared off a shelf in the large bookcase in the living room which gets used a dumping ground for all sorts of things....I found four nail varnishes, face cream and eye cream - don't think I can blame DH for those :rotfl:

115 nail varnishes to cupboard
116 face creams to cupboard
117 paperwork to shredding
118 loads of junk thrown away (instructions for phones we don’t have any more etc)
119 various sewing bits to the sewing box
120 mirror to cs

Not as much as I had hoped but I am please to have got that shelf done. I can see it when I sit on the sofa so I think it will inspire me.

I am pleased with what I have done so far - plenty more to go but I will do it a little at a time.
Happy decluttering all! :beer:
D x

cte1111

I've been re-reading the Life Laundry book since I started decluttering, I always remind myself of those people's houses when I'm finding it hard to part with things. I could easily end up like that, in fact one of my relative's house is like that, we all said at the time they could do with the Life Laundry coming and sorting them out.

It's interesting that one of the first things she says in the LL book is that keeping everything can sometimes root back to older relatives who lived through the war and didn't want to waste anything, like another poster mentioned. I can't claim that as a reason though, think I just like buying nice things.

A few odd items decluttered yesterday:

Bra that isn't very comfortable
Metal spools that don't fit my sewing machine
Son's cardigan that is too small
Old phone cover
Cosmetics bag

Listed 8 items on ebay this weekend, some already have bids on which is good. I've got 6 auctions finishing today, only 3 have bids on at the minute, but most of the others have lots of watchers, fingers crossed some have them have left a snipe.

TheDoolallyDilly

So far, I've deleted nearly 200 old emails - it's not very exciting or satisfying to do, but I will try and do some more tomorrow!

missymish

Hi Everyone,

I am quite a new poster on here but been having a huge de clutter all weekend.

We have 3 sons and I hate getting rid of things and our loft resembled a small boys clothing section in a department store!!

I have 6 black bin bags full to the brim of clothing that is going on eb*y have only managed 16 listings today and a lot of them were bundles and have 5 more bags to go!

I am hoping this is going to be the start of a good saving year for me

cte1111

Sorting through the boxes of papers in the lounge. We've previously been through and shredded or filed most, but still some remaining.

Decluttered:

Bingo club cards (not been for over a year, can always sign up again if I start going again)
Gran's old bank statements for closed accounts (kept recent ones, rest shredded, I have Power of Attorney for my Gran, so look after her paperwork)
2 folders from bank statements
Slimming World joining pack (will get new one if re-join) and folder
Postcards (used some that had stamps on for postal competitions)
Driving license in my maiden name
National Trust manual from 2010, plus map of their sites
Empty photo album
Cheap pencil (have lots of better ones and can't be bothered sharpening it)

Also filed pension statements, various savings statements, my Gran's council paperwork and some work documents.

hannerrbabes

Posted 10 items

Sold 2 more items on Ebay/Amazon

OOD medicine to pharmacy

more "not known at this address" mail to be reposted

pigpen

3 binbags of rubbish out. My 4 bins are full (2 are recycling) and my house looks no different!

Tomorrow will see some change OH and DS1v are removing some stuff to DS1's so we will have 3 large boxes and a double bed frame leaving the house.. that HAS to make a difference sureyl?

Binday tomorrow so I'll be back to flinging come 11am with luck!

DundeeDoll

doolally decluttering estuff is every bit as important as real stuff.
1) pastry brush very grotty -> bin
2) graduated student's notes -> RC
3) violin case even grottier than pastry brush -> bin
4) squeedgy wot we dont like -> work cos they use them there
5) ds's homework from last year -> RC
6) dd's cooking notes from 4 years ago -> RC
7) violin book grade 3 -> RC
8) leaflets -> RC
9) broken folder -> bin
10) notebook -> RC
11) private eye annual -> CS
12) 200 years of the times -> CS
13) the human body -> CS