2019 - A Clutter Free Life

vintageteainmywardrobe

-taff wrote: »

Snap. We moved in about 4 years ago and the house needed doing up, but due to one thing or another we haven't done anything yet so every room needs doing.
I did take a bootful to the dump last weekend, made such a difference to be able to walk into the hallway without tripping over things. It's the little stuff I don't know where to put or what to do with, like the imax glasses, plasters, pens, batteries etc. We have almost no storage solutions in place, so can't put things in drawers or cupboards so it all hangs round in boxes...
Reading this thread is helpful though, I do like to see what other people do and how they do it.

Golly, it sounds like I am reading myself there, we haven't decorated either, problems keep arising with the house from a leaking loo to subsidence, which I don't think helps my mental feelings on the house. I'm looking forward to reading how you do!!

Mrs_Salad_Dodger wrote: »

Hello & welcome vintageteainmywardrobe :hello: what a superb name Haven’t tried the minimalists game - I will have to Google. You are so right - it is very easy to get disheartened & overwhelmed but you have come to the right place & I am very happy that you have found us :T By the way clutter is not a problem just a challenge to be faced :rotfl: One idea is to take a bin bag round to each room & bin the visible rubbish, then a recycling bag for the magazines etc that you have read but haven’t released :rotfl:. Your bedroom sounds like it should be your haven not just a place to sleep - so maybe start there - tidy everything away & clear surfaces. Perhaps you can create a corner where you can sit & read.

The being brutal can be a way to go but I know I could never do that as if I failed my Clutter would be worse than when I started . Maybe start by not letting anything else into your home apart from food However you start let us know how you are getting on - we can offer ‘virtual’ encouragement and ideas galore. Remember you have taken 4 years to get ‘unconsciously’ cluttered, it will take a while to ‘consciously’ declutter I am off to Google the minimalist’s game :rotfl:
1666/2019

Thank you, I never thought of it like that and I guess you are right it has been four years of "unconsciously" cluttering and I'm going to attempt what you said or at least close to it and not bring anything new into the house. Apart from stuff I really need like jam jars for Jam lol! I have recently just bought Tin Can Cook and Abundance, both of which were on my Amazon list for a good few months and I finally bit the bullet and I was thinking last night that because I'm bring two new ones in I need to look at what I have and give two to the local library. That way at least I can still read them if I want to.

nannywindow

Thanks MrSD for the advice. I will try to just sit ............................. and then count to 100 ( over and over again:rotfl:). I'll get DH to shift himself and book us another holiday too :j.
Yesterday afternoon was spent helping my Dad as his letterbox collapsed while we were away and he was stressing about it. So while DH and Dad went hunting down a replacement ( awkward size ) and then DH made it fit the opening, I cleaned Dad's kitchen and bathroom, then I pulled up some weeds and filled his green bin. I also decluttered lots of items left on his kitchen worktop which were ready to go into the recycling/ refuse bins.

I visited Dracula at the surgery this morning and I have decluttered some blood, so back home now and a cuppa is in hand.
Today I have to sort and put away some stuff from the 'van and I'm sure we took too much :eek:. So I will consult with DH as to what we can lose, then do what I want . Naughty nan !
Keep up the good work everyone
nan xx

TamsinC

A few tips I use a lot now - after more than eight years of 'becoming minimalist' [still a work in progress] and, in that time, five house moves this has become very helpful.

a] one in one out - if something new comes in something old goes out - so if I buy a book, a book leaves. [I tend to use the library a LOT now] - same for clothes, knick Knicks, etc.

b] Do I NEED it, if so have it. Do I WANT it but not need it, if so leave it for a while and see if it is NEEDED.

c] When decluttering - Would I buy this again? Have I used it in the last six months? If I needed it and had decluttered it would I find an alternative to use or would I need to re-buy? If I need to re-buy will it cost me more than twenty pounds? [count costs as a kind of rent - so it cost you twenty pounds two years ago but you haven't used it yet, but might - so you are paying many pounds a year to rent something you don't use - worth it?] If not let it go.

d] I also constantly have a running commentary in my head for clothes - one on, one off and one in the wash - the 333 project is good for that too.

e] and then the old style equivalent of Marie Kondo's 'does it spark joy?' from William Morris "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

f] your house is not a storage unit - if you all you are doing is rearranging clutter and putting it into boxes you aren't really decluttering. Think of how your forebears coped with only one cupboard in the kitchen. Take the plunge, let it go to someone else who will love it and use it. [promptly has Frozen song in head for the rest of the day - that I will NEED to declutter]

g] I belong to a Facebook group called Midlife Minimalists - it's cool and helpful. Maybe join?

f] a biggie - think of what you want to keep rather than what you want to get rid of - it often makes it SO much easier when struggling. Faced with twenty teddies my kids could never choose which to give up, but turn the question around and they would keep five and pass the rest on.

there - that's my mental decluttering does today - splurged on here. lol.

many sprout seedlings given to a neighbour

TamsinC

TamsinC wrote: »

16 - 42 - deleted old texts
43- 53 - old papers etc recycled
54 - a tin lid found lying around recycled

55 - a tray of sprout seedlings given to neighbour

[Deleted User]

Have a wonderful time meeting lots of special folks.

Rootle

20/52 - 2 books to the CS bin and some packaging used up to send a present

Picklepot

Hi All

37 - a bin bag of shredded paper to recycling
38 - a ceramic plant holder to charity shop bag *
39 - cloth recycling bag containing....*
40-43 - childrens toys*
44-46 games*
47 - 49 (3) canvas pictures*
50-51 (2) out of date herbal teas recycled
52 - 54 (3) books to car for donation to national trust 2nd hand bookshop
55 another 50 items of paperwork weeded out of study for recycling

* in charity bag in car

Thanks to all for the welcomes , comments and suggestions. Its really helped concentrate my efforts

bit_by_bit

Welcome vintageteainmywardrobe Another one who gets overwhelmed here. I will never be a minimalist but I can stop collecting clutter. Lots of good advice here for you (and me )

I went to the tip with 5 bags garden waste from my sister's partner. Not counting these as not my waste and in the car for less than half an hour. I also dropped a bag of electric bits that had been in the car for MONTHS. 52/100 bags.

Just now still working through 3 bags of clothes for the CS that needed sorting and washing first. These from Son No 3. All will go on Sunday. As I am sorting duty and as it will all be pre sorted I hope I haven't got too much to do.

Now recovered from hols going back following some of MR SD's rules. In particular. Sticking to one job at a time. This has been enormously helpful with me lately as my concentration has been rubbish due to exhaustion and 'too much to do syndrome'. As soon as I find myself getting off plan I make myself stop, say to myself 'make like a postage stamp' and stick to the job in hand. THanks for that MR SD :rotfl:

nannywindow

Binned / recycled a face cloth, a pair of DH's broken slippers, 3 tea cloths, an empty jam jar and several plastic bags. I managed to sort through the post too and recycled several flyers and empty envelopes. We also called in to see DD for coffee and gave the DGC their presents from our hols, so a sort of decluttering, as the prezzies went from my house and into theirs :j.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. SMALL TASKS WILL BE DONE ASAP
2. I WILL LEAVE A ROOM TIDIER THAN WHEN I ENTERED
3. KITCHEN WILL BE LEFT CLEAN & TIDY EVERY NIGHT
4. WHEN DEALING WITH CLUTTER I WILL USE ‘Daisy1571’s idea of ‘WHAT WOULD I DO WITH THIS ITEM IF IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE’S ?’
5. IF I WAS STARTING FROM SCRATCH, WOULD I BUY THIS?
6. BE LIKE A POSTAGE STAMP - STICK TO ONE THING UNTIL YOU GET THERE

We thought Thursday was bad weather wise - we were so wrong Friday it ‘persisted’ down from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with barely a let up. I will tell you the tale of woe tomorrow :rotfl:

Well Done - TamsinC; Rootle; bit by bit; nannywindow - Clutter still being consciously decluttered :T

Good work Picklepot :T I knew you would get the hang of decluttering

Vintageteainmywardrobe, checked the minimalists game - I managed 4 days then forgot :rotfl: it is very hard :eek: I wish you all the decluttering karma available :rotfl:

Goodnight

MrsSD
1666/2019