2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

bit_by_bit

An interesting question @Wildrose I have still got statements from over the last 5 years but most are now online. My MiL recently had a problem with houseing benefit and they wanted copies of bank statements from the last 2 years. She had to go online, save them to a memory stick and them get them all printed.off. What a pain.

I have kept all P60s and would print off any documents that are to do with pay and pensions. Even old apparently defunct stuff I have kept. I am not a lover of paper stuff but I have had too many occasions when I have needed real documents. 

I always print out travel stuff too. 

Storage wise. We have a  2 draw filing cabinet. The top is full of insurance, water, car and council tax stuff. We have a folder in the bottom draw with all the travel and medical stuff in. Otherwise I have repurposed a lovely box under the bed which I made dividers for and have it all in there for me. DH has his in a box file.

Nothing decluttered but the packaging is nearly sorted. Half of it is going back into the loft and the other half is to be neatly stored under DD bed once I hae made room. I think there were 16 bags of packaging originally. Will count up and come back tomorrow with how many there are now.

vulpix

 Staying at my Mum’s has been a revelation. Every drawer, cupboard and surface is stuffed. Under every bed and in every wardrobe crammed. 

 

My son went in the loft to get some of his belongings. I was under the impression that only his stuff was there. Hmm he says there is loads of carpet up there and about 9 boxes of stuff. He also found 5 large water colours which came from Mr V’s house and we had completely forgotten about them. No clue why they were at my Mum’s. I hope the boxes are not our forgotten stuff too. I suspect that they may actually be ours. They can wait until he visits again. The water colours were painted by DD2’s Grandpa so they are being dropped off at her house tomorrow. 

 Mum’s house is so cluttered it makes me feel very uncomfortable. I am determined not to leave so much work as my legacy. We have condensed 2 three bed houses into a five bed then three bed and now a two bed house. Admittedly with the addition of a massive shed.! When we get back from our little holiday and we finish work I will get back to having a ruthless sort out here. I want to do it before I get too old and then overwhelming. 

 I think we are resigned to staying at this house for a while as we have spent such a lot on renovations. We should be finished this week with the outside space. Just the bathroom window to move and that will be it for this year. 

 Things have left whilst I have been awol. Laptop charger, threadbare socks, pants with detached elastic, sheet and mattress cover,plastic containers and other stuff I have forgotten about. 

 One of the things I like about this thread is that we re home responsibly. Although I don’t want to be the custodian of everything I want it to move on and not be a waste of resources. We let stuff go on to a new life instead of dying of old age in our care. 

 I am off to my lovely new bed. The last few weeks has knocked the stuffing out of me. I think I have a stress hangover. 

 Vx

short_bird

3525--3552: 14 items to recycling and 13 items to bin
3553-3557: 5 GB data deleted.

Just got a load of cleaned records back and some money (kaching!) from the last batch that left the flat. So that's the next task, reuniting records and outer sleeves. (a few plain inner sleeves went into the recycling.)
Doing OK with the no spend days. 
Way happier now it's cool!

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, today I have decluttered some blood and did a small shop. I also helped lovely neighbour to declutter her shed with her dd2. I must admit to mainly taking responsibility for identifying the various tools that emerged. The shed was her DHs domain but although he was ruthless emptying the loft of everything except LNs Mum's holy pictures and statues his shed was rammed . When it was all spread on the lawn it was hard to see how it had all fitted in the shed. So I offered to do a tip run with a couple of things from me, a broken bird feeder stand and a spirit level that has lost it's bubble, and have filled the car to take to the tip tomorrow. LNs dd1 is also doing a tip run sometime this week but I have said if she can't manage it I will do another run for her. We also sorted a few things to go to her grandson who is quite handy and they are good tools, too good to go to the tip.
I have also picked up my knitting again this evening as it feels much cooler. It is only a scarf but I am using up odd balls of wool that I can't think of anything else to make with it. I also spent an hour or so clearing more stuff off the computer. I know I am going to have to get a new one soon as it really is on its last legs so I need to at least get the photos stored somewhere else in case it just dies on me. 

@mhagster well done on not braining your brother, why not ask him to finish the lawn after he has put the banister back and I am sure you can think of a few other jobs he could do I know I could as he has so far done naff all. Didn't you say you were let down by the cleaners? hmmm upstairs windows etc big hugs, you are nearly there 

Take care everyone

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks

2. Deal with Old Frogs & potential frogs ASAP but at least one on FROG Fridays.

3. Reduce/Restrict time watching TV and playing AB2 during daylight hours 😉

4. Declutter/Relocate one item every time I stand up.

5. Don’t put it down, put it away

6. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

First batch of cheerleading 😉

Yippee to a good night’s sleep mhagster 🥳 ‘Memory Parcels’ is such a lovely description 😊 Do the addressees know they are on their way? Excellent work getting even more items out & away + planning for winter clothes drying 👏 Please give yourself at least a couple of days off from decluttering 🙏 you have earned it 🙂

bit_by_bit, it might have to wait a while but it can be a nice future plan 😉 Excellent work tackling your To Do list 👏 I remember my granddad collecting stamps but have no idea what happened to his collection ☹️ Good luck with your sales 🍀

Wildrose, no suggestions for the oak filing cabinet but it seems you have already made your decision 😉 

Floss, digitally issued divorce papers not my idea of finality - I love my paper copy 😉 

Wildrose sounds like a shredathon is definitely in your future 🔮 

Great decluttering short_bird 👏 Are you sure the new fridge is on 😉😉🙃

Great work EnergyShifter 👏 Most of the time I can make a decision quickly then take forever to act on it 😔 I think I prefer your way 😉

Thanks for sharing that story vulpix 👏 - puts things into perspective 🙂

mhagster, very impressed that because you felt strange having nothing to do you found so much to do & completely sorted out your spare room 👏 You really do find it difficult to slow down 😉

You are on a roll QueenJess - excellent decluttering 👏

Loving this discussion about paperwork, photos & special mementos. Floss the water coloured sketch sounds interesting.

Wildrose the shredathon is almost upon you 😉 All this talk of photos is starting to sink in so I will add photo sorting to my To Do list 🙂

florianatwobob I am very peculiar in that I rather like the old studio portraits 🙂 It sounds like the one you have is wonderful 👏

Liverpool_Anne what a lovely way to spend time with ex colleagues - hope the wine was free flowing 😉 I am surprised that the colleague who was forced to retire didn’t find a new paying job 🤔 Trackers on your niece & nephew 🤣 Sounds like you have your winter project ready to go 😉 you never know you might find some of the joint name paperwork hiding amidst all the other paperwork 🙂 By the way, you are NOT hopeless - you are decluttering at your own pace 👏

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅🥇 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 1252/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £228.22

TC77

Been reading back with interest, esp about paper , filing and the few things from family history kept. 
Down at my dads with my brother.  We're both doing some RL work ad well so v slow process. V different t approaches. I want to spot things that can go and get them out, he wants to get categories together and match up. Currently hundreds of cables on sofa and floor , and kitchen table covered with small stuff including about 50 keys . There are more keys. I wouldn't have got these out but now he wants to find out what they are for. I assume these from garage are redundant as boxes of keys in my dads  drawers,  many have luggage labels but some too faded! Desks and dressing table and cod have keyholes. 
Been cataloguing books to send to bookseller. Taking ages but interesting. After the raf doing radar and his a levels my dad went to uni and became a physics lecturer and realise books were the only way of keeping up with what was happening and by all these academics from different countries. 
Do have a tip run organised and convinced my brother than we need to start taking things we want , there are art magazines I said don't get rid of so found them all brought down from their shelves when I got here so said I will take if he takes golf clubs he wants, science magazines etc. Much smaller pop than London so less interest on give away  sites. DB says he may still do a boot sale sometime! 
My house esp bedroom has felt much more breathable so abit wary of brining things back.  
Can't find password for my dads PC so if everything is Digital do let someone know the password! Lots of passwords,  and v organised lists from my dad til last couple of years. He had fireproof boxes and we knew where they were and the keys! 
Have to run today and someone coming with bolt cutters so we can get in the big shed!! 

vulpix

 On reading Liverpool Anne’s post I realised I have missed pages again. Doh! Btw I believe doh is now a dictionary addition. 

 Mhagster you have moved mountains. Your Mum would be very proud. You should be very proud of yourself. I hope you keep in touch with your Mums ndn. 

 Today I will begin to declutter filth. Every thing is covered in a fine layer of grit from the stone cutting and building work. I have cat sitters for when we go away. ( Thank you bit by bit) I don’t want everything they touch to be gritty!

 Vx

 

Siebrie

I wombled a standing light, uplighting, slim. Now, the rather large IKEA lamp can go, with its rice paper cover in tatters (about a month after we bought it one of my dd's put a foot through it, about 5 years ago...).

short_bird

Siebrie said:

I wombled a standing light, uplighting, slim. Now, the rather large IKEA lamp can go, with its rice paper cover in tatters (about a month after we bought it one of my dd's put a foot through it, about 5 years ago...).

Yes, I'd have turned it round to hide the hole, these things happen! 

Siebrie

short_bird said:

Siebrie said:

I wombled a standing light, uplighting, slim. Now, the rather large IKEA lamp can go, with its rice paper cover in tatters (about a month after we bought it one of my dd's put a foot through it, about 5 years ago...).

Yes, I'd have turned it round to hide the hole, these things happen! 

We did; there are holes on the other side as well