2020 - banish the clutter 13 December 2019 at 4:19PM edited 2 January 2020 at 4:07PM in Old Style MoneySaving 3.7K replies 232.1K views

ChasingtheWelshdream

Can I join please? I have soooo much stuff to sort, including two rooms of doom.

R.O.D 1 is our back room. Because we're waiting to do some building work in there (when funds allow), it has just been the storage place, which is silly as it's bigger than our living room! But over the last week it is 'sort of' getting there - we are going to be full over Christmas and need the space to sit. It's not pretty, but at least I now have piles of stacked boxes, rather than simply piles of stuff - that's progress right? :rotfl: I'm just wondering if I have time to run up a couple of really simple curtains on wires to hide some of the boxes under the tables so I'm a little bit less embarrassed for visitors. Not sure, it's tight though.

R.O.D 2 is our craft room/studio (shared with DH). My half is, well, stuffed. To the point I can't do anything as there's no space. It's just got too big to sort out in one go, so I'm going to draw up a plan to increase storage and be really ruthless about the things that 'might come in handy one day', but clearly never have.

I'm also decluttering the Xmas 'stuff' that comes out of the loft each year. We've got 8 boxes, and last year we didn't get around to putting half of it out, and the boxes stayed out until *ahem* May before going back. You know the things: nick-knacks, spare lights, random falling-to-bit kids' creations. I'm going to be ruthless (but not too heartless) and cull anything that doesn't make it out the box this year.

I have half a box of spare baubles, several pretty biscuit tins and a couple of never-opened advent calendars so far. Next up for the cull is the book advent. When the kids were little, I'd wrap up a festive book for bedtime each night, but they've long since grown out of that so I'm only going to keep a few special books. And the DVDs - I've found three still in the cellophane - and we've moved house twice since I bought them! :eek:

I managed to get 4 boxes of halloween stuff into 1 earlier, so aiming for similar. Then I can use the boxes for the start of the normal decluttering!

Well, that will do me for starters. I have a quiet, kid/DH free house at the moment, so I'd best get on. I have a couple more boxes to fill in R.O.D 1 - at this point I don't have time to sort, just tidy. I figure I can then deal with one box at a time in the new year......honest!

thriftwizard

May I play too, please? We're hoping to move before too long and I have 27 years' worth of large-family-life to reduce to something that looks vaguely saleable! I think at least one bag per week would be a reasonable target; I'd like to think I could do more than that, and may manage to some weeks, but don't want to aim too high & feel a failure if I don't manage. There'll be some re-organising & redecorating to do too as we go along.

Caramac

I’m another one hoping to move next year, and having lived here for 32 years there is lots of clutter I don’t really notice. My dad passed away earlier this year and I also have a load of his papers and some ornaments we I bought here when he went into a nursing home three years ago. I have reduced the papers significantly but really need to do it again.

bargainhunterss

I’m definitely in! The year started off with the best of intentions (partly fuelled by the Marie Kondo show on Netflix) but things have majorly fallen by the wayside! We’re also hoping to have a bathroom refit in the new year (nothing booked yet) and the christmas period is always a good time to reflect on what you have and what you really need.

I’ll not be counting items this year, but hopefully I’ll be able to get rid of at least a bag a week, either to the tip or the chazza as appropriate.

Full steam ahead! :j

balabooberlies

The garages aren't mine. Wish they were. Am a hoarder so this is perfect challenge for me.

Thank you for the welcome.

Bala

CAFCGirl

Ohhh I'm in!
This year I did make great efforts although they tailed off quite badly and stuff started creeping back in.

My goal is simple (and in conjunction with the 20 in the 20's Challenge) to declutter 20 boxes or boxes. So far I've already for 5 up in our spare room after having a furniture cull in our dining room/wasted space. So all of those were emptied out and I went rather military level on it and gave myself 2 storage tubs that I could keep - one of which was filled with soap moulds from my business LOL So that worked out quite well.
The room is still under construction mind you with its purpose(s) yet to be decided.

After Xmas will be another go through of wardrobes, toys, books and gubbins. I may even turn ruthless with my craft items and stick to 3 or 4 and get rid of the rest, including a yarn declutter which will be passed onto a friend who crochets and uses thinner yarn (it doesn't work well for what I do).

-taff

VfM4meplse wrote: »

It's mostly obsolete mobile phones and its paraphernalia, but I am very reluctant to recycle because I don't want any images to end up in the wrong hands. Nothing dodgy, you understand, I just value my privacy and that of those in the pics. Any ideas?

If you do a factory reset it should erase any data you dont want found but you could ask on the techie board for any other options.

Wednesday2000

I will join in again for 2020. It sounds so futuristic doesn't it? It doesn't seem like that long ago that it was the year 2000 and I thought that sounded the same.:rotfl:

I have been using up my kitchen products recently. I've knocked them down to a few items and I got some boxes from around the house to store them properly so I can see exactly what I have so I don't mistakenly buy extras.:)

I am off to the charity shops this week as I bought some fabric dye so i will look again through my wardrobe to see if anything can be donated. I bought my husband a red jumper recently and it attracts pet fur so I know that can be washed and donated.

I was going to contact my vet to see if they wanted a dog crate I bought. I prefer the ones I already have as I used them when my dog was recovering from an leg operation. It is unwieldy and taking up a lot of space in the cupboard so hopefully they can use it.

General_Grant

I'd like to join for 2020. I need to tidy up which means be better organised and disposing of some things will help. I'll only count items actually leaving the premises rather than those relocated within the house and out of sight. So I'll have an annual target of 120 items (average 10 per month).

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Ooh, lots of people :j:j

Congratulations on having a basically clutter free home VfM4meplse :T apart from that pesky desk :rotfl: Hopefully when you start on the garage you will find useful stuff to aid in your austerity drive & maybe raise some funds

Nice that you are back in villagelife :j. Once you sort/empty out your ‘Understairs Cupboard of Doom’ is it being converted? Enquiring minds want to know :rotfl:

Welcome foofoopuppy :j Exciting times ahead It is surprising how easy it is to declutter when you have a specific goal in mind after all you won’t want to clutter up your new home :rotfl: By the way, love the name

You are absolutely, positively welcome nannywindow :T. I am so happy that you are on the mend but when your decluttering mojo returns (and it will ) please do not make yourself ill again - remember decluttering is a marathon not a sprint

Welcome Matron Midge :hello: yet another great name The advantage of a large house is that you can hide from the other occupants :rotfl: Joking aside, if you have one room that is not in general use you can use it to put the clutter in from each room as you sort them out. I know you would be creating a ‘Room of Doom’ but at the same time you would be creating havens in your home

So many great names Welcome ChasingtheWelshdream :hello: An excellent plan of attack - shame that pesky celebration is getting in the way of decluttering :rotfl: I am very impressed about the massive success re Halloween decorations :T You are absolutely right that clutter in stacked boxes is major progress :T :rotfl: Re your full house over Christmas - try to get them to tidy up after themselves which will keep your stress levels down

I will resume my welcomes after a spot of gardening

MrsSD