Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

beanielou

@StripeyTightsSpottySocks.
Could you maybe get a couple of big plastic crates & put different sizes of clothes in them? Would that work for you?

savingholmes

StripeyTightsSpottySocks said:

Agree with beanie you should be proud of your progress  Definitely celebrate the wins  and great on things selling too.

now i've organised / tidied a couple of small places i now feel able to tackle other areas because i have now made a home for certain items it is easier to tidy anything i find in that category away. [Agreed]

Have you found any tips on too many clothes? especially when, like me, you're bigger than you were and have definite plans to shed the excess weight and do love the clothes you used to fit into? This is a major untidy area for me as there are more items than space (house is tiny and wardrobe really unsuitable).

Thanks Beanie and Stripey

On the too many clothes. I had a horrific realisation a few years ago - that by the time I thought something was fit for charity it was actually only fit for rags. Too shapeless, too shrunken, may be even holey or with missing buttons. I'd wrongly seen myself as generous for giving to charity but I began to realise I was really deferring the decision of whether something was too far gone - to them. I decided to be more generous in reality by letting things go sooner. I still keep things that I would be happy to paint or decorate in but things I see as mistake purchases or that no longer bring joy - I let go (well more often than I used to!)

A utube I listened to described clothes that don't fit you as toxic clutter - constantly accusing you. She suggests letting them go - Kondo style - thanking them and passing them on. A friend also said to me that if I lose weight - I can reward myself with a new wardrobe. If I really did lose the weight I'd be so delighted I'd happily invest in new things. I have kept some particularly expensive items (3 ball gowns) - and a few items that I really liked. I've kept what I consider the next size down - but they are boxed up rather than hanging in my wardrobe. I just keep out what fits - mostly. That way I don't have that horrible sensation of having a full closet and nothing to wear. She suggests getting them or out of your bedroom if at all possible - so your room is your sanctuary. Most of my clothing is made of stretchy t-shirt type materials so they are quite forgiving between sizes anyway... I don't do formal trousers or blouses or things like that...

I keep clothes a long time - and am wrongly upset when they wear out - as I've got great use out of most of them. With the various lockdowns - I've spent a lot less on clothes than normal and a lot less than the UK average since joining MSE! From your diary you buy a lot of charity shop 'bargains' and keep them. I've mostly stopped looking for bargains - and buy pieces I love instead. I'm still not spending mega bucks - £30-40 for an item seems expensive to me - but if that item lasts years - it's worth it. Some of my clothing is Joe B's and a deliberate conversation starter - some are just things that fit... I am trying to make my clothes purchases more meaningful. Very few supermarket or Am**** clothes end up as faves so trying to use them just for basics like leggings or tunic - rather than for things that matter. I'm enjoying a couple of items I bought from K1@ss. Either DIA or DAL not sure which doesn't keep clothes unless she feels fabulous in them. I'm not quite there - probably lack the self-esteem for that sadly - but they certainly have to aid confidence - if they aren't better than what I already have they probably aren't worth it.

I've also watched quite a few utubes about a mom that is minimal. She does the few clothes lots of accessories to turn them into different outfits type approach. If you group your clothes by type or by colour - it can also give you a sense of what you have too many versions of and what's missing. You can then give away some of the colour / style you have multiples of... Think - I'm being generous to someone else in need by letting this go...

savingholmes

Well I had a successful day. I decided to group all the clothes I hadn't given a home to into the 4 basket 1m tall unit I bought. It's unsorted but immediately improved my bedroom.

I hope over time more will end up with a proper home but this uses less floorspace than the multiple baskets and boxes I was using before. Now I can start to see what's left. 

I also removed a couple of boxes of photos and memorabilia from my bedroom (ex loft items). I have culled the contents of 4 further boxes. In total I got rid of 50%. Most was stuff I had kept from 20-30 years ago. It's bin day Monday so hopefully can avoid a tip run. Proud of myself.

EssexHebridean

I should think you are! It’s really tough getting rid of photos I think - and probably even more so after a break up as you need to balance the animosity you may be feeling towards ex right now for how he’s contributed to the split against how things were before, when you truly were happy of course. A good plan to get rid of far older stuff at this stage and leave the more recent stuff to a time when you’re further along the healing path from the divorce, probably. Great timing to avoid a tip run too - and MSE as well saving fuel! 

savingholmes

Thanks EH. TBH it's mainly paper and cards I let go of including course materials and coursework. Still progress. I have no idea why I kept some things as long as I did. I imagine some things just moved from loft to loft unopened when we moved.

I woke up to an enquiry about a painting I relisted yesterday on FB. It's a different one again. So I have had enquiries about 3 paintings on FB so far. What FB is also showing me is how often a painting was clicked on. The one I thought was the 'worst' has the most interest. So holding my breath again to see if I get my first art sale.

jwil

Your progress is inspiring me to get on again, thank you

Fingers crossed you get that sale.

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hi savings

Good luck for the sale and well done on all your organising and decluttering.

Nearly all my clothes are second hand now - i had to really think about when i last bought something new - it was an Xmas jumper in the sale as none in the charity shops were appropriate!- think puddings  And, of course, that spend was partly about wanting to fit in in newish job role.

I will need some new trainers when i start running again and they will probably be new but on a budget. I do love the clothes i buy - it's not an it'll do - unless it's specifically for a work event - so my charity shop buys are purchased because i really do love them - and at the moment because i really don't have enough in the size i am   

I wouldn't want to buy a new wardrobe of clothes - it has taken me many years to get to the point where the 'perfect outfit' -so i'd feel comfortable at whatever occasion i was attending - is now so much less important than feeling comfortable financially and in myself. Small steps towards building my self-esteem maybe? Yes i love a well put together outfit and accessories and it does give me pleasure - now i am very happy to do this with my second hand finds. And second hand fits in more with my environmental views

Beanie - thank you for the crates suggestion - there is nowhere for them to go - our house is incredibly small - just one of the many reasons i want to move. I have an unsuitable wardrobe. When we viewed the house there was a small desk in the space, i have a small double wardrobe there now - not making a good use of the space as it would have been better to put rails up and build doors across and put shelves inside. This would have maximised the space we have there. 

It has helped posting on here because what i really need to do is just reduce what i have.

lucielle

Decluttering is going really well. Hope the fb enquiries turn into sales. Now DD1s BF has moved out when I get home I’ll start to do some and everywhere needs a deep clean. 

L

savingholmes

Hi Jwil and Stripey.
Stripey I know you can get great CS finds and I didn't mean to denigrate that choice. A better statement would have been new to me/you wardrobe. I think what I was trying to say was having more than we need is actually reducing rather than enhancing our quality of life.

I will feel so much freer when I have reduced my 'stock' of things I don't/no longer need. At the moment my stuff that needs sorting makes me feel guilty when I do anything other than declutter. Once it's gone it will feel amazing. I will have more mental energy to create as well as be more active.

savingholmes

Hi Lucielle - we must have cross posted. Glad your DD and her BF are now well again. I imagine with all the upheaval after the storm you're itching to get everything back the way it should be - never mind the extra of family moving out. Exciting times. 

No news on the painting yet - but someone said they'd buy something tomorrow that I listed for £12. In theory someone is collecting something else I sold yesterday for £12 in the new few minutes. Been a good weekend so far. Will fit in more decluttering. Need to look around for other things I can list while I'm on a roll. 

Just watching a squirrel run along the fence. They only normally come this far when they are hungry. Hope it's okay.

Planning to make another banana loaf today and then a roast dinner for later. Have a good day all.