Hoarding - Springing Ahead

Patchwork_Quilt

Well done, save-upper, and indeed everyone out there with decluttering victories!

Very little to report here, I'm afraid. Am sinking back into lurkdom.

mcculloch29

What wonderful news Saver-upper! What a massive boost to shop stock too... and ultimately for the charity. Brilliant!

sweetpea26

saverupper that is brilliant progress. So much stuff in the one day. Well done you. You will not know yourself being able to utilise the space cleared. Keep going.

GreyQueen

:T Oh well done, saver-upper! What fantastic progress, your joy is radiating out over the interwebs.

It's an incredible leap and must represent a huge volume of Stuff and procrastination emotions off the premises.

I spent a bit of time on my mobile company's website last night and just spoke to them this morning about matters technical and have started the ball rolling on something I've been postponing myself; switching provider. Amazing how these things get blown up inside my mind to being a big issue and really they're not at all.

Although I'll be happier when my switch between utility providers is completed. Once a stress bunny, always as stress bunny..........

I keep glancing around my sitting room and thinking; It looks a bit bare. Have I lost something? Is the important stuff still here?

The answer is yes, the important stuff is here, often properly put away, but the unimportant stuff has gone. It's a pretty good feeling and makes shoving a vacuum around or getting company-ready a doddle.

Today is w*rk as per ususal on weekdays and then home and pootling around. Was too knackered to sew last night but may get in on the act later today, depending on how much energy I have.

Whatever you're doing, may you have a great day, one and all. GQ xx

GreyQueen

Evening all.

Been watching last night's episode of The Hoarder Next Door on 4OD. Oh my goodness.................

As is typical, was motivated to declutter on the ad breaks and have added some more stuff to the c.s. bag inc a cased set of two books which I'd been thinking about for some time.

Checked what they go for 2nd hand (tenner) and decided not to give them to online bookseller brother, by reason that the postage wouldn't cover them and the £10 (as and when he got it) would probably end up at £6 and this isn't really worth taking up his time and limited storage space. I only paid £1 for this handsome pair of books and can afford to give them to the charity shop which will hopefully make much more, plus the gift aid rebate from the taxman.

I also donated an ordinance survey map (unused) to an area elsewhere in the UK where I went for holibobs but didn't need so someone else can get the benefit. It's a long way off and I probably won't go there again and someone else can get the benefit of it now, I reckon.

I'm thinking that I can have a chazzer bag ready to leave tomorrow, and may well do that before I go to the allotment. Nothing like turning it around and getting it off the premises.

And nothing like the sight of a hoarded home to give you thanks that there for the grace of something or other go I.

whitewing

Out has gone 6 pairs of boxers to charity, 3 holey socks and 1 pair of holey pants.

Dry clothes have been put away. Kitchen has been tidied. We will do more tomorrow, I think.

I have caught up on the hoarding programmes. My family had more space than average, so would never have considered themselves hoarders but it really hit me today about not being able to use rooms for their correct purpose being one of the main symptoms.

VJsmum

So there I was at the kitchen sink, scrubbing a mug that I don't like, that came free with an easter egg years ago and takes up valuable cupboard space, to get rid of tea stains that look like it came off a building site, when - ding!! I don't have to do this. It is in the bin :T

Thank you

Saver-upper

Well,the wonderful support I have been getting on this thread,combined with the glowing feeling I get after I have donated stuff,has spurred me on to keep going.......

Today I drove another (smaller) car-load of stuff to the charity shop-only 3 walks between the car and the shop,by myself (the other day a volunteer from the shop helped me unload the car,and we did alot more return walks :eek:.) I was donating a combination of children's clothes and toys.Some of the toys were still in sealed boxes,obviously spares bought for when my children were invited to birthday parties over the years.(Buy things on special,store them for when kids go to party later in the year.)There was also a disassembled baby gym,so that freed up some room.When I got home,in the middle of my front room was a huge bag of books I had forgotten to pack,so that is the start of my next donation run.

I wouldn't say my loft is looking bare (by any stretch of the imagination),but there are areas of floor exposed that haven't seen the light of day since we had the loft boarded 7 years ago :eek:.

Today I delivered a large bundle of baby clothes for a friend from online site I am on.They will last her til the end of summerHave only met her a couple of times,but I know she is struggling,She did appreciate them.I also took some clothes to Cash4clothes,got £just over £7 for it,immediately added to my sealed pot (after spending the equivalent on snacks from the bakery in Sainsbobs :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:.)

Another thing I should start sorting is paperwork.I actually have quite a good filing cabinet/system for stuff that needs keeping:my partner is amazed when I can produce some documents within about 90 seconds of him wondering where they are.......:rotfl:.
The problem is the papers that don't need long-term storage.The amount of notes my 4 children bring home from school (some of it duplicates,despite my constant requests to shool:why does each child need to bring home a copy of the school news letter each Thursday? ).
So I have a "carp corner" in my kitchen,and for notes that need keeping for a while,I have a magazine holder.When the paper gets too much in the carp corner ,it gets moved up to my bedroom,out of the way.Then guess what happens?Well,in the loft this week I have found at least one box of these "to be sorted" papers(I suspect there are more....).
About 2 weeks ago I filled another plastic box with the most recent "to be sorted" papers,and it is sitting tidily in my front room.Should do that while watching tv in the evening.
Thank you again for all your encouragement,everyone.I am certainly spurred on.Don't think I will have an opportunity to get to CS again this week,but I am going to continue setting aside stuff to go.

GreyQueen

:T Oh wow, saver-upper, you really are on a roll, aren't you? Most excellent work and how lovely that your good will be used and spreading their usefulness over the lives on your online pal and others who will buy them in the charity shop, and that the money will be helping the cause.

I un-shopped a bag of stuff to Hoxfam yesterday afternoon. Wasn't sure if they took stuff in for ragging and I had half-a-bag of clean but worn out cotton textiles, so put them in a separate bag clearly labelled For Rag Only and asked the assistant if they took them before handing them over with the rest (they did). So that will enable me to part with worn-out stuff as I have more than enough rags stored for cleaning jobs and really haven't room for more. This way, I will know that they are going to be fed back into the materials loop and not fester in a landfill. We don't have any of those Cash4Clothes places here, unfortunately.

As my donation bag had several books in it, inc 3 hardcovers, it was quite heavy and as I picked it up, I had a forward-flash to moving home. I don't have a housemove planned, but in the past Life had dealt me un-planned moves with only a few days' notice, so I expect that might happen again.

And, it crossed my mind as I lifted that one bag, how much easier moves are for every item which you don't have to consider, bag/ box, lift and unpack at the other end.

A dear pal has had a flood at home in the past few weeks. It was a flood from internal plumbing, clean water, but it has caused an awful lot of damage to about half her home. The insurance is on it but what has also crossed her mind is that life with Less Stuff is easier. So she's in a decluttering frame as well, including in rooms completely un-affected by the flood. It's absolutely fascinating to watch someone suddenly turn a corner in their lives............

Yesterday, I was on the allotment for a few hours and walked up and down the potato rows. I planted these last weekend, on The Rough, a piece of ground which I have dug through about 8 times since I cleared it last autumn, removing carp as I went. And, get this, I was able to remove a heaping handful of glass fragments and even a couple of large nails from the surface of the soil where they had appeared out of the clods. And I have mighty big paws for a woman.

I also cleared another 1m x 3 m strip of couch grass and found 7 viable strawbs to pot-on as gifts and ran to the tip on the pushbike with an IKEA blue bag of grass tufts on the back. It was about 50% of what I produced yesterday, but that was all I could transport at time. Will be doing the same today.

Yesterday, I also turned down 2 vouchers which a shop assistant tried to give me with my receipt, as they were for things I don't use and would just be trash. Thought there was no good reason for me to accept them just because her employer wanted them handed out, it merely contributes to waste and gives me a small amount of extra kipple which I have to deal with. It felt good to take a bit of control back.

Onwards and outwards, my lovelies. GQ xx

ginnyknit

You are right about the refusing vouchers GQ, if we want to keep our lives in control it has to start with the smallest things.

Am just going to pop the clean washing upstairs before I go out so when I come home its not glaring at me saying 'Move me!' Have to remember to take an empty carrier bag up with me as its bin day Tuesday so will go round gathering bits and bobs. Hubby helped by emptying his bin and various junk into a bin bag then putting it into the wheelie bin which promptly filled it :mad: so I ripped it open to disperse it better and picked out the plastic bottles and wads of paper to pop in the right bins. Of course I dont mention this too him otherwise he will never emppty a bin again.

Its post office and Cs day tomorrow so looking to create a little pile for both, Im sure I have a couple of books at least and a long cardigan I was bought which I never got on with.

Have a good day all xxx