The KonMarie method

Broomstick

GreyQueen wrote: »

Is anyone else on here attracted to minimalism but anxious about not having Enough?

Definitely, but I want enough to be able to shop once a week or less, cope with bad weather, illness (having full cupboards and freezer after a big op was a godsend), financial ups and downs, or other crises. Knowing we can manage for a spell independently of having to buy stuff to live on reduces stress for me.

However, where the minimalist bit comes in for me is that I try to make sure that everything is grouped together. I know how many of each food stuff or household consumable I have and where to find them. I only buy things that I know will be consumed and now, following a massive stock take the other day, I know everything that ought to get used up in the next few months. We try hard to finish one thing before opening a new one and don't have loads of different kinds of teas and jams and sauces and shampoos etc all on the go at once.

It's very different for me and clothes, for example. I already own very little. My entire wardrobe is in two 'Really Useful' plastic crates under the bed, a handful of hangers on the back of the bedroom door and the coat rack in the hall. I've been living with the minimum for some time but I know I will replace stuff and expand a bit into a work-type wardrobe if and when I get non-self employed work and have finished losing weight.

I think it's fine to have stuff (but sorted) for making and mending things as well so long as the things one mends and makes are useful and won't add to clutter and actually get used!

I suppose minimalism is about reducing things down in a very aware way to the fewest things that suit your lifestyle at that time and sorting and arranging them to be able to locate and use them. It's flexible not fixed. My prep-type supplies do get used and I can find them.

I went downstairs to make a cuppa just now and looked at the one cupboard we have for all our crockery and serving food dishes. The only things that we have not used in the last 6 months have been the teapot (I make it in the cup, but when I knit a new cosy the pot will be used again), half a dozen ramekins which, now I've noticed them again, will be brought back into action for freezer puddings, and the egg cups (nobody has fancied a dippy egg in ages - don't know why!) I feel rather cheered up that we are actually using just about everything we own from that cupboard.

I just need to get the rest of the house like that. Don't even go there with books or stationery/art supplies...

B x

Frogletina

drusilla wrote: »

MMMMM! Bit embarrassed about this one.


I watched the Samosa your carrier bags and thought great idea. I have one of those Ikea thingies for carrier bags and because it is so full they always fall out the top.


So got son on board and started folding the bags. Suddenly it started snowing inside. The bags right at the bottom had been there so long that they had started to break up into little white snowy pieces.

Were they Tesco bags? I rarely go to Tesco but had a couple in my stash a while ago and when sorting them out this happened.

TudorRose

I've just finished ranger rolling my tea towels. I can't believe the difference it makes. Now they should all get equal use instead of the same ones being dragged out all the time.
I am so loving this. I want to start on my clothes and/or bedding & towels tomorrow.
I have been one of those people who thought that buying little boxes etc & putting stuff in it made everything all right when in fact it is just hiding the problem from sight. I am now looking at what I have in the way of storage and thinking not 'what can I hide in this' but 'can I use this to divide up a drawer for neater storage' etc.
Onwards & upwards towards a clutter free home.

VJsmum

PixieDust wrote: »

OMG OMG OMG I watched the Ranger Roll for packing tutorial......I have here a range of beautifully rolled, random items of clothing........I want to go on holiday NOW just so I can pack!!

I am off to the far east on Thursday for two weeks - work purposes. I intend to watch this in the next day or two ...

I have ranger rolled (i keep wanting to say "commando roll") my towels, freeing up airing cupboard space and drawer space. In the free drawer i have now grouped all random toiletry items. I have enough conditioner to last until the autumn at least , and sufficient "nice" shower gel until next christmas.

But - da dah - i have also kondo'd OH's nag drawer. I put all the miscellaneous carp in one half (a diary from 2001, 6 conkers, wage slips from about 10 years ago, a guinness paper weight, 3 torches, a packet of elastoplast..... the mind boggles) in the hope that he sees how ridiculous it is and gets rid of some. Pants have been rolled into the other half - I feared he might go ballistic. Instead he said he was "quite impressed" :rotfl: LOL talk about damning with faint praise.

I have also been able to say "thank you and goodbye" to two towel sets, which are rather "kiddy" and will be appreciated by someone in a charity shop

PixieDust

I am ranger-rolling my nylon bags for life to fit inside a single bag and live in the car.......

GreyQueen

By gum, with the help of u toob, I have Kondo'd long and short-sleeved tops, and even tunics, of which I have several, am now going to see what I can do with wrap dresses. An impressive amount of drawer space is coming visible, in a drawer which would barely open or close........it's some kinda magic..........:rotfl:

115K

I just folded my carrier bags and they do take up a lot less space that way.:cool:

GreyQueen

:j You can Kondo wrap dresses, by treating them like oversized tee shirts, with a bit of allowance for the flare of the skirt part when bringing the sides of the garment in. Who knew?! Am going to try folding 3 'proper' shirts and then everything which came out of that drawer will be back in the drawer WITH SPACE TO SPARE. Sorry to shout, but I can hardly believe the evidence of my own eyes.

And, you know what? As I can clearly see what I have, I reckon I'm less likely to wear the same old stuff all the time and other overlooked items will get out and about.

It's all good.

jinny

[QUOTE=VfM4meplse;67494233

I had no idea reparation is possible! For those of us not quite so handy, it's worth donating our worn / unusable / unjoyful (is that even a word??!) bras here.[/QUOTE]

I'm loving this great idea
I have seen a video of lovely ladies from a third world village
Proudly walking around in their donated bra's

Can I take this opportunity to ask ladies who have mammograms
To make a small donation to the nurses fund at their local hospital
Or mobile station
My local breast clinic is saving up for a breast scanner for younger women. A normal mammogram doesn't usually pick up anything wrong because younger breasts are too dense with tissue
Older breasts have more fat tissue so easier to see mass.
I usually give whatever I can all is appreciated.

fiftyeighter_2

My DD now seems to think "I need to get a life" after I have been showing her how I can fold a fitted sheet perfectly, file my t shirts,roll my pants and so much more. This site is addictive. I keep looking in my cupboards and drawers, all lovely and tidy.
Thanks everyone for all the hints and videos.
Keep Kondo...ing.