The KonMarie method

iQueen

GreyQueen wrote: »

Don Aslett, the Freedom from Clutter guy, wrote about this. About how, if you worked out the amount of time and effort you spent to sell your discards, you'd be working for pennies an hour. If someone offered you a job at 50p-£1 an hour, what would you do? Exactly!

Sometimes, like MK writes in her book, the lesson an item was meant to teach us is that we don't need that item in our lives. So, it's served its purpose and can now be released to serve someone else.

To me, it is pretty clear: (almost) anything that has been stuck in a box/cupboard/drawer, unused for years, that was 'expensive' to buy, obviously has no value - to me.

Then, I have to weigh up: try to sell, versus give away. Clutterfree's KitchenAid (that I am fighting for, in a growing virtual queue:rotfl:) is a good example of being able to recover some value, by selling.

Most things are not worth trying to sell, because the time involved, fees, etc, will return an overall loss.

tibawo wrote: »

Leak on car done but car battery still needs sorting. Just got to get the old man to understand that the mechanic may be able to get hold of one for cheaper by about a tenner but I would have to give up some work which because of a zero hours contract would mean I would be thirty pounds minimum out of pocket!

I had this problem 5 years ago. The garage quotation was high, so I went on the Internet and bought a BN heavy duty one for peanuts and 24 hr delivery. I changed it myself, in less than 10 minutes. My car still starts instantly, even when it's stood for 2 weeks frozen up! :j

PollyWollyDoodle

Thank you for the posts above, it is hard to discard stuff that you know cost a lot. I have sold on eBay in the past. I have also stored stuff to sell on eBay and ended up chucking it/donating it (or it has Died in Storage) which was even more painful! It's really helpful to think about the VAT element, oddly enough - makes me feel a lot better.

My friend's daughter is bringing up three children on a very low income and she does a lot of eBay/Gumtree and car boot sales. Although I'm still donating quite a bit to CS, I have picked out some decent stuff and given to her, and so far she has raised enough to take the kids to Legoland for the day this summer. I'm delighted - these things were no good to anyone in my wardrobe, she and her children will have fun, and someone else will be wearing them and enjoying them. It's made the whole discard process much easier for me as I know there's a real benefit to her. Not everyone has someone like this, but I do find that donating to CSs makes me feel easier about the 'waste' element of discarding.

Igamogam

springdreams wrote: »

This is the same problem I have been having. However, I have tried ways of turning the items back into cash - eBay, car boots, cash for clothes etc., and have realised that all of these, other than the cash for clothes, take a lot of hard work and time. And all you get back from all the various methods is a few pennies as eBay fees take a huge chunk of anything you make from there, cash for clothes only pay 50p per kilogram (I was paid £14 for 7 black bin bags stuffed to the gills with clothes) and people who buy from car boots only want to pay pennies for things.

At the end of the day, as another poster said, the money is already spent. You will never get back what you paid or anywhere near what you paid. So unless you want to spend your time ebaying or carbooting for pennies, and getting disheartened because all you are getting is just pennies, just give the stuff to the chazzer. That is what I am going to do from now on.

p.s. could you use a pringles tube for the carrier bags? One of the flavours has a purple tube iirc.

If you are a tax payer then sign up to gift aid at the charity shop. If you have a nect*r card link it to tag your bag scheme at Oxf*m and get points on your card if your item sells - it soon adds up:D

GreyQueen

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

My friend's daughter is bringing up three children on a very low income and she does a lot of eBay/Gumtree and car boot sales. Although I'm still donating quite a bit to CS, I have picked out some decent stuff and given to her, and so far she has raised enough to take the kids to Legoland for the day this summer. I'm delighted - these things were no good to anyone in my wardrobe, she and her children will have fun, and someone else will be wearing them and enjoying them. It's made the whole discard process much easier for me as I know there's a real benefit to her. Not everyone has someone like this, but I do find that donating to CSs makes me feel easier about the 'waste' element of discarding.

:T I think that's a lovely thing to do, helping this lady to help her children and herself. They'll have a lovely time at Legoland, thanks to you, and will be building happy memories. Good on ya!

Today I have worn a top which I was iffy about keeping and have decided to kondo it. It was only 50p from the chazzer and, on analysis of the garment, what attracted to me to it was the pattern and colour, but the cut isn't right for me. I think it requires a lady with a bit more er cleavage.........:rotfl:It can be laundered and leave with the next lot of donations.

I'm finding it easy to fill a carrier bag per week with Stuff which is no longer floating my boat, even out of a tiny home. I'm finding the whole KM way of doing things very helpful, and am constantly amazed and how effective this sweet little book is at changing long-ingrained personal habits.

Who knew a woman on the other side of the planet was going to be such an influence on me - may she live long and prosper.

mrs-moneypenny

Haven't had a chance to pop in for a while but have just read all the latest posts, they really are motivating. I've done a little decluttering but no major kondoing as in the last week I seem to have acquired not only a much loved and wanted first grandchild but also a full time job seems to have fallen into my lap as well.
Not sure how long the job will last but kondoing will resume when I find some free time.
I prefer to donate my unjoyful items to the charity shop, we gift aid so it's lovely seeing what benefits they bring to the good cause we support and also it's confirmation that the items are bringing joy elsewhere after release rather than just gathering dust in my cupboards.

VJsmum

hello all - been reading along but not much to post

I have finally finished the kitchen drawers (really, do i need 6 bottle openers?) utilising every plastic container coming into the house - peppers, tomatoes, and field mushrooms were in a particularly useful container. The amazing thing is - even OH has kept the kitchen drawers tidy whilst i have been away.

The next bit to do is DD's bedroom :eek: and :eek: again. Darlings the stuff, and the dust :eek: (plays havoc with my sinus). She, helpfully, did under her bed whilst she was home from Uni, reducing 4 underbed storage containers to 1 :T. With her permission i got rid of every bit of art and craft stuff (all binned i am afraid, nothing was fit to donate). We are now overrun with cuddly toys that, in true KM fashion, i have left in a big pile for her to sort through when she next comes home. OH saw it and virtually wept "the money, the money in that lot". It was quite funny when i put a load through the washer and strung them by the neck to dry on the washing line - it looked like a massacre :rotfl: With the help of facebook I have been able to send her photos of other odd things that i thought she wouldn't want and have been able to discard.

One thing I found was a stuffed hippo that someone made for me when i was 6 (i.e. 45 years ago :eek:) he is definitely a thing of his time made of floral 1970's curtains. I should say she, as she was named Fleur I can't get rid, but bright green flowery curtained hippos are not really "in" any more are they :rotfl: Definitely gives joy - but what to do with her? i think she may simply have to live in the spare room. amazingly she survived a trip through the washer and being hung by the neck off the washing line.

I will keep on, keeping on - as someone once said.

Knit_Witch

VJsmum wrote: »

One thing I found was a stuffed hippo that someone made for me when i was 6 (i.e. 45 years ago :eek:) he is definitely a thing of his time made of floral 1970's curtains. I should say she, as she was named Fleur I can't get rid, but bright green flowery curtained hippos are not really "in" any more are they :rotfl: Definitely gives joy - but what to do with her? i think she may simply have to live in the spare room. amazingly she survived a trip through the washer and being hung by the neck off the washing line.

I will keep on, keeping on - as someone once said.

As she went through the washing machine okay could you dye her a better colour?

GreyQueen

If 'Fleur' gives you joy she should definately stay. Perhaps you could make her a special roost, like a shelf or the top of a cupboard, which is her designated place. Perhaps with a few other items from the period or photos of you from the same era, to give her a bit of context. Could be quite the talking point, those who weren't there probably can't believe how humourously uncool the 1970s were and it could be a real heartwarming talking point.

Igamogam

cydney65 wrote: »

I went in there last week and discovered most of my house in there; it was a bit surreal!

That happened to me on Monday - the manager greeted me with 'is there anything left in your house?!' I felt a bit embarrassed but she laughed and said they already have a sheet of gift aid stickers ready with my barcoded number on:rotfl::o Had a little chat with her about clutter, declutter, consumerism, her area manager and his not understanding the demographics of where we live, volunteers, lack of volunteers and rude people coming in and demanding pictures ( whilst I was there and obvs looking for something to sell on........ really rude:mad:)

Clutterfree wrote: »

I also decided to start on my make up. I've done lipsticks.

Next stop will be lip glosses (I have TONS of those) :eek:

Remember this stuff has a shelf life and the quality will deteriorate once open. I dont use any makeup but also, I am led to believe, old opened makeup can be a harbinger of nasties:eek:

Another trip to recycle centre today with broken plastic storage boxes. Another bag to CS. Another empty wheelie to fill.....and so it goes on. Bit of an impasse I think now........have tackled almost everything inside and out on the first kondo round and still swooping and swiping the odd thing as I go.........builders/plumbers in tomorrow and still have a great deal to shift into other rooms:( At least when they have gone I can begin phase 2:rotfl:

Clutterfree

GreyQueen wrote: »

:mad: We paid GOOD MONEY for this stuff and, dammit janet, it OWES us and we need to collect on that value, somehow, anyhow.

My take on it is that 20% of most things was the VAT, which was a state-mandated gouge, not part of the intrinsic value of the item at all. Most of the rest of the chunk of the price represents various mark-ups for profit; the manufacturer, the distributor, the retailer. Very little of the price represents the actual cost of making something, its raw materials, the slkill in putting it together.

Sometimes, like MK writes in her book, the lesson an item was meant to teach us is that we don't need that item in our lives. So, it's served its purpose and can now be released to serve someone else.

Great post GreyQueen - very thought provoking. :T

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

My friend's daughter is bringing up three children on a very low income and she does a lot of eBay/Gumtree and car boot sales. Although I'm still donating quite a bit to CS, I have picked out some decent stuff and given to her, and so far she has raised enough to take the kids to Legoland for the day this summer. I'm delighted - these things were no good to anyone in my wardrobe, she and her children will have fun, and someone else will be wearing them and enjoying them. It's made the whole discard process much easier for me as I know there's a real benefit to her. Not everyone has someone like this, but I do find that donating to CSs makes me feel easier about the 'waste' element of discarding.

What a lovely thing to do. The memories it will give those children is priceless. Well done! :beer:

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

Haven't had a chance to pop in for a while but have just read all the latest posts, they really are motivating. I've done a little decluttering but no major kondoing as in the last week I seem to have acquired not only a much loved and wanted first grandchild but also a full time job seems to have fallen into my lap as well.

Congrats on the job but even more congrats on becoming a grandmother! :j
Perhaps we should rename you Mrs Grannypenny!

Igamogam wrote: »

That happened to me on Monday - the manager greeted me with 'is there anything left in your house?!' I felt a bit embarrassed but she laughed and said they already have a sheet of gift aid stickers ready with my barcoded number on:rotfl::o Had a little chat with her about clutter, declutter, consumerism, her area manager and his not understanding the demographics of where we live, volunteers, lack of volunteers and rude people coming in and demanding pictures ( whilst I was there and obvs looking for something to sell on........ really rude:mad:)



Remember this stuff has a shelf life and the quality will deteriorate once open. I dont use any makeup but also, I am led to believe, old opened makeup can be a harbinger of nasties:eek: :

With regards to expiration dates on make up, I take it all with a huge pinch of salt. These items never used to have best before times on them and it is just a way for companies to make us spend more. If they think I'm going to throw out a £25 lipstick after 12 months :eek: then they can think again! It's down to common sense. You know if something has gone off by its smell or texture. I am sure none of us can afford to bin our make up after 6 or 12 months and buy it all again from scratch. It's just a marketing ploy! (Items that contain SPF I can understand, though).

Love that the CS had gift aid stickers ready for you!

Nothing done today because I've got the lurgy and feeling sorry for myself!