KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Slinky

greent wrote: »

Our local hospital takes these for the geriatric wards (probably not a PC term, so I apologise - really no offence intended) - some of the elderly don't have (m)any visitors to bring them toiletries and the small sized items from hotels/ travel gift sets are great for one person to use for a few days I used to travel a lot for work and regularly dropped carrier bags full of hotel stuff off to them - I only found out about it because they cared for my granddad on one of these wards for his last few days and I asked one of the nurses.
x

Our local hospice also take toiletry samples.

Igamogam

greenbee wrote: »

... and if you're a higher rate tax payer they give you your share of the tax back...

Now that is worth knowing............part of my salary taxed at higher rate.I think:o How does it work if you pay tax through PAYE?????

Slinky

Awaiting my KM book still but made a bit of a start today with filing some paperwork which had turned into an enormous junk pile, and shredding a whole load more. Have more to shred but decided to get it out the house over the next couple of weeks as I've already broken 3 shredders in my life and don't want to kill the current one! The binmen came today so the shreddings have already gone.


Need to go and clear the dining room table where the remnants of the junk pile which can't be binned remain to be dealt with....

PollyWollyDoodle

I think as long as it leaves the house it doesn't much matter how! Thank you Jellybeantinker for your post - I've sold a few things but recognise I don't have the patience to get rid of low-value or hard to sell items even though they may make money in the end. You've done brilliantly. I ended up donating most stuff to the CS although a lot went to my friends daughter who sold it and kept the proceeds with my blessing, if you know someone who's a hard-up SAHM this is another option. Freecycle has proved useful for some quite unlikely things (length of plastic drainpipe?).

As I went through the house however I came across things that were only there because I hadn't been able to find a way of disposing of them before - it can create a sort of paralysis, as said above. In a very few instances I decided the bin/dump was the solution, reluctantly. A devotion to recycling can actually stop you moving on, and I don't want to leave the problem of 'how can we dispose of this ethically' to my heirs!

greenbee

Igamogam wrote: »

Now that is worth knowing............part of my salary taxed at higher rate.I think:o How does it work if you pay tax through PAYE?????

I'm taxed through PAYE but also fill in a tax return to reclaim this, the tax benefits of investing in a CITRA, the higher rate element of my pension contributions (both occupational and personal), and the tax on the difference between what my employer pays for mileage (1p) and what HMRC allow (?45p).

I also have to cough up tax for my health insurance and occasionally a miniscule bit of interest on savings. But generally I do quite well out of it. Usually £500 or so back each year, and tax codes that increase my tax-free allowance.

Igamogam

greenbee wrote: »

I'm taxed through PAYE but also fill in a tax return to reclaim this, the tax benefits of investing in a CITRA, the higher rate element of my pension contributions (both occupational and personal), and the tax on the difference between what my employer pays for mileage (1p) and what HMRC allow (?45p).

I also have to cough up tax for my health insurance and occasionally a miniscule bit of interest on savings. But generally I do quite well out of it. Usually £500 or so back each year, and tax codes that increase my tax-free allowance.

I am going to look into this . Thanks Greenbee. Always good to kondo a bit of money out of HMRC:rotfl::D

pavlovs_dog

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

I kept a lot from my other 2 sons so we are reusing lots of it, but I need to have a plan in action for what to do with it once this little one out grows it, as we're not having anymore!

kids' stuff sells like hot cakes on my local Gumtree and at car boot sales. Clothes can be sold in age/size bundles to clear job lots quicker. You could use the money you make to soften the blow of having to buy anything he may need in current sizes.

DreamyP wrote: »

Hi guys,

Those of you who are decluttering by selling how do you decide what to sell?

I only bother to sell things I think I can actually shift. For me it has helped to soften the blow of 'But I paid £X for that!'. I don't bother with ebay. I make good use of Gumtree, and price things to sell. That may mean accepting a little less for it than I could get if I were to sell it on ebay, but in my opinion it is a workable compromise and preferable to endless trips to the post office. I am contemplating giving Facebook selling pages a go this year.

The money I raised last year has gone into a kitty which will be spent on buying plants when we do our garden this year. Any money I raise this year will go towards my 1% challenge on the mortgage free wannabe board.

One thing that has saved me time is to keep a copy of item descriptions and photos in a file on my laptop. If I need to re-list something it is a quick and easy job.

mothershipton

Well my clearing attempts seemed to have worked on ds1 as he is currently sorting out his room. He got a new tv unit for christmas so is putting his playstations in there. I suggested he make room for his games in the bottom of his wardrobe but his cuddly toys are in there and he wont get rid of them. He is 22! bless him.

Am going to try and get the other son to sort his room out but he has lots of homework to do so shall leave him be for the moment.

I am still trying to clear a space in my bedroom to do yoga. Everytime I nearly clear it more stuff gets put in it. Will get there this year though.

Looking forward to a clearer 2016

wort

Very good kondo day :j
Decided to revisit my undies and socks, previously in 4 separate drawers, now into 2 !
Bras and knicks in 1, and socks and thermals plus camisoles in the other !
The 2 free drawers are deep wicker ones so have put the toiletries from Xmas that I asked for in 1 which cleared the bottom of wardrobe.
Kondoed a couple pairs pjs.
1 pair of trainers and 4 pairs shoes and 3 of boots !
4 handbags and dh came up and sorted his books huge pile being given back to their owners, and 4 big bags filled for charity shop, from his wardrobes.

Ended up with many empty boxes and a couple of plastic storage boxes.cardboard ones have gone will hold on to plastic for now as am still wanting to review garage of doom .Have also 4 empty wicker baskets which used to hold lego and magazines under the couch in conservatory, but now the lego is in 1 plastic lidded box under dgs bed,and the home magazine have been binned!
Also managed to kondo 6 scarves and 2 pr gloves:T

M.E.

Daughter bought me the book for Christmas.
I had read it on Kobo and had tidied my clothes, linen cupboard and towels over the last few months. They remained tidy though as I'm the only one that seems to put things away I thought no-one had noticed.
Not so.... seems my husband noticed AND HE THEN READ THE BOOK YESTERDAY.

This afternoon we had a joint "shirt session".
With no effort he threw out a dozen shirts (I culled three!).

Tomorrow we will do T-shirts!

Not called it Kondoiing.. just Magic Tidy up