2022 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

CharleyStone

Hello all.

This is my first post on the thread, but I wrote up an introductory post all the way back in March, apparently! I just found it preserved in the comment box. I was very fed up and frustrated with myself for my attempts to declutter that just ended up in more mess spread across my living room floor! I've been watching a ton of decluttering and minimalism videos on Youtube since then, and I don't know how much they've actually made the difference, but I have got rid a lot and have a huge pile of stuff to be donated. Some day I want to live a minimalist life... I don't know if that's just the clutter talking and I'll calm down once there is a little less of it, but right now it's all I want. 

florianatwobob said:

My mission this winter, should I choose to accept it, is to clear down the TBR pile. Here is 2/3rds of it. As you can see I have eclectic taste. 

This (and everyone replying mentioning their own piles) made me laugh because I have this picture saved on my phone of mine:



That is three stacks deep, all the books I have either not got round to reading yet or think I probably want to get rid of but just...can't, without reading them again to be sure. It's shrunk a little since taking the photo, but not enough. Let me know if you recommend or anti-recommend anything there, because I want the top of my chest of drawers back!

QueenJess

I quite enjoyed Life of Pi when I read it, but I am not sure if I would reread it.  On the plus side it’s very quick to read.

I usually stick to classics so I can’t help with most of those books!

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 during daylight hours 😉 AB2 playing zero - 20/9/2022

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

Everything dried, DSis helped me fold the bedding. Now just need to put everything away. Dinner was sausages, mash, baked beans & chopped tomatoes. Wudupa. DH prepped the brisket & added onions & sweet potato - now marinading overnight & I will slow cook tomorrow.

1636 - 1639 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, glass bottle, plastic bottle - recycled 

1640 - 1644 Kitchen, lr & office detritus, worn out scouring sponge, shredded paperwork - binned

vulpix, “Mrs SD you should definitely do a round Britain meet n greet. It would be a hoot” I will give it serious thought especially as DH seems amenable 😉 As we had 2 big holidays this year, we have no plans for anything in 2023, so it might be rather nice to meet up with fellow declutterers 🙂

Knowsley Hall looks beautiful, GrannyKate. By the way I would count one for putting up lines in your garage as hopefully it will declutter the need to use the td 👏

Excellent suggestion for Mayaboo, bit_by_bit 👏 Sorry to hear that you have been in a bit of a ditch with your mood, but it hasn’t stopped you reaching your 100 bag target 👏 One Gold Star ⭐️ on its way. I also see from your signature that you have almost reached your make £2022 👏

The pre-op assessment sounds very stressful, EnergyShifter 😔 and having to wait until 28th November 🙁 The dress sounds beautiful 😻 Great decluttering 👏 Thanks for the Anniversary wishes.

Welcome aboard The EDT, CharleyStone 👋 Lovely to see a new face. Talk about being shy 😉 but at least you have only waited 6 months to introduce yourself 🙃 Joking aside, well done on starting your decluttering journey & so successfully 👏 I imagine you are already noticing a difference & as you progress you will be able to decide whether or not a minimalist life is for you 🙂 As to your book pile - I see you have several Stephen King books - hopefully The Stand, The Dark Tower books & Needful Things are amongst them 🤞 The Stand is one of my all time favourite books & I quite enjoyed the mini series. I must admit that I got rid of all but a few paperbacks several years ago - I bit the bullet & had approx 250 books collected by BHF. That was when I knew I was serious about decluttering 😉 Sadly I have stalled since then but I am still decluttering slowly & I do work hard to stop more clutter coming in - one in, one out is a great tool 🙂 Keep up the good work & I, for one, look forward to learning a little bit more about you 🙂

QueenJess, I admire your taste 👏 does Lord of the Rings count as a classic? 

MrsSD  🏅🏅🏅🏅🥇 🌟 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I AM A STAR 🌟 

Decluttering Target: 1644/2022

2022 - 1p Savings Challenge: Running Total £379.22

florianatwobob

I’m just about to start Life of Pi, I think it’s a one time read. 

Glad my pic made you giggle @CharleyStone. One of my colleagues at work and I were chatting about our TBR piles yesterday and she made me laugh when she then said ‘or we could just keep going to the charity shops and buying more!’. She’d popped into one with a particularly good selection that sells them 3 for £1 (the same shop regularly seduces me). 

Oh Mrs SD fining DBro is the mildest thing I have considered! Fortunately when I turned it all back on last night it appeared to be back to normal working but I left it minus contents overnight.  As I’m writing this in bed I’m hoping for no surprises this morning. 

GrannyKate

Just checking in to award myself a point for washing lines across garage on Mrs SD's recommendation.

1149 Strung 2 washing lines across garage - trust tall DS2 won't garrotte himself when he goes out there.  I had hoped to put washing out but spitting.
1150 Quiz questions done ready for tomorrow.

Been round house and turned all radiator valves down to just below recommended temperatures.  My smart meter seems to be on much higher figure when I get up is that because they have applied daily standing charge and that has gone up a lot?   Energy and plumbing are another country to me.  I think the underfloor damp from the leak may be causing me problems.  It will be interesting to see what the floor is like when they get here to take flooring up this morning.  

basketcase

@CharleyStone

Hi, my name's basketcase and I'm a bookaholic. To give you an idea of the scale of my problem I once cleared 500 books from my shelves and you couldn't tell.  So I feel your pain.

The way I've found of dealing with books is to ask myself the following:

Do I remember reading this?

NO

Read the first chapter.  If you remember reading it then, it obviously didn't impress you enough the first time - GET RID.

If it doesn't ring a bell, read the 2nd chapter.  If it's hooked you, put it aside to read.  If it hasn't (or worse, if you remember reading it now!) GET RID

NB:  Make a pile to go through later in a second pass.  Do not, repeat NOT, read the first chapters as you go through your book collection.  It doesn't work.  (Ask me how I know... )

YES

Do I remember if I enjoyed it?  If YES, and you tend to re-read books you enjoy (which I do) keep it.  If NO, again it didn't impress you enough the first time - GET RID.

This works for me, it may not for you.

Siebrie

I once moved countries and had to put my belongings in storage until I had a new house sorted. I put about 300 books I loved in storage, gave 150 to one friend for keeping until further notice, 150 to another, sold whatever I could of the rest, and donated the leftovers. After a year, my books came out of storage, I donated about 50 (my selection of 'keepers' was apparently pretty good), then when friend 1 asked what I wanted to do with the books she kept for me, I told her to deal with them as she saw fit; I informed friend 2 similarly. By then, I had discovered the local library, and decided that that would be my bookshelves; they could do the buying, storing, dusting, discarding for me.

Once a month I pick up about 4 books of varied subject matter, and I return them when I receive a reminder email. I hardly ever extend the period I have them at home. If I didn't (start to) read them in the first 4 weeks, I'm not likely to start after. I may have this fantasy life where I sit on my sofa in my cosy living room, read books and drink tea, but currently, that's just impossible.

In order to keep the library open, I have made all 4 of us members (even though husband never goes), and I regularly participate in events. I don't mind paying the occasional fine (both membership and fines are really low).

cashlink

Reading is my number one occupation!
I would write down the title of book, the author, in a little book.
I would then dispose of the books appropriately.
Then visit local library and take out the books you want to read. We need to keep our precious libraries open!!

Floss

basketcase said:

The way I've found of dealing with books is to ask myself the following:

Do I remember reading this?

NO

Read the first chapter.  If you remember reading it then, it obviously didn't impress you enough the first time - GET RID.

If it doesn't ring a bell, read the 2nd chapter.  If it's hooked you, put it aside to read.  If it hasn't (or worse, if you remember reading it now!) GET RID

NB:  Make a pile to go through later in a second pass.  Do not, repeat NOT, read the first chapters as you go through your book collection.  It doesn't work.  (Ask me how I know... )

YES

Do I remember if I enjoyed it?  If YES, and you tend to re-read books you enjoy (which I do) keep it.  If NO, again it didn't impress you enough the first time - GET RID.

This works for me, it may not for you.

^^ This is how I deal with them too

vulpix

  I got rid of hundreds of books about 25 years ago, when I realised that I wouldn’t read them again. I kept a couple to reread and I still haven’t! I have found that I read much less now that I have a partner and the internet . I have 4 books in my to read pile. Recommend by my reading mad son. However I have several children’s books that were my Mum’s, mine, my children’s and from my work with children. I even have a copy of the little match girl given to my Grandma as a Sunday school prize in 1912. I am much more sentimental about childrens books than adult books. 

 I enjoyed reading The life of Pi. I don’t think I would need to read it again though. 

 Nothing gone today except for a haircut. I am a coiled spring waiting for Mr V to go on his trip tomorrow morning. First to sort will be the glasses cupboard. I can’t fit them all in and shut the door. I can be much more ruthless without Mr V’s help. 🤣

 Vx