2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

wort

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.
Quote from Lion King 
or regarding sunk costs, you bought it it wasn’t what you needed but why waste energy on storing it and giving yourself angst every time you see it that you wasted money. 😉

wort

Also you can donate them to a women’s refuge, or a charity helping refugees or just people with less than us. 

vulpix

 Sunk costs,that's a hard one. I think of it as I had the pleasure at the time when I acquired it,nobody got hurt and now I don't need to be it's guardian. Some things take a while to let go and several passes. I find that the more I declutter the easier it gets. I like to think that whatever I have let go has gone on to be useful for someone else.

 Old letters. I have burnt all my old letters from boyfriends. I just thought that they would be of no interest to anyone else. I think with technology we don't really write letters much anymore, I cannot remember the last time I had a handwritten letter from a friend.We get a couple of printed round robins in Christmas cards but they just seem to be a list of holidays that people have been on. We do have a very old letter from an ancestor of Mr V from a rich sister to a poor sister sending some boots that had seen her 4 winters but still have life in them. That sort of thing is interesting.

 Vx

 

SecondStar

Sunk costs IS difficult.

Not just sunk financial costs, but sunk emotional & mental costs, too.

I’ve still not be able to spend enough time in the house to begin decluttering yet, but I know that sunk emotional costs will be hard to deal with.

Personally, I have lots of art & craft materials that I bought with the intentions of doing certain things, making certain things. I tied a lot of ideas, ambitions, and dreams about MYSELF to these objects. 

Example: I have lots of card blanks and Lino printing supplies, because when I bought them I believed I would Lino print Christmas card designs, and sell them at local craft markets. I never did, but I still love the idea & dream of picturing myself doing that. I have a huge bag of polyester stuffing, and different printed polycottons, because I imagined myself designing and selling children’s dolls & soft toys. Again, I never did, but I’m still in love with the idea of doing it. I love to imagine myself doing it.

For me, it’s all the ‘what if’s’ and imagined possibilities that get tied into objects.

’What if’ I get rid of all my jewellery making supplies, and then…I don’t know, decide I want to make jewellery again?

It’s the sunk financial cost of money invested in these ideas, but it’s also the sunk emotional cost of how much you had *wanted* to be a person who Lino prints, who makes toys, or jewellery.

Even if you’ve never touched those supplies, or haven’t done for years - to declutter them is to close a door on those imaginings.



I think I’ll try and remember that just because I’ll be decluttering those things *now*, doesn’t mean they won’t eventually come back into my life, if I truly want them to.

It’s hard having ADHD, and having so many cyclical interests and inspirations - I physically won’t have room for them all in my future smaller home!

Siebrie

I have made a list of all the frogs and froglets that keep me from living a smooth life, and it contains 23 items! I've planned to tackle 3 per week for now.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

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

2. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ I have an acronym - I.R.I.S. being Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off

3. Implement a new sleep/wake up regime - start going to bed earlier (target before 2:00 a.m.) get up earlier (target by 9:00 a.m.)

4. Deal with daily mail immediately 

5. Don’t put it down, put it away

6. If I spot a mini task deal with it immediately e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

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

Good morning from a dry but chilly East London. Friday 6th January & time for everyone to take down their Christmas decorations & tree. Even though I have had just 4 hours sleep I decided to get up, put on my fluffy dressing gown & have my first cuppa & go straight into cheerleading 😉 (Just seen my first 2023 Christmas advert 🙄 rather creepy 😬)

Great work Ginmonster 👏 A good motto which can apply to more than just decluttering “small steps add up to big progress over time”

Fayolle, this year’s thread is definitely bullet train speed 😉 Good decluttering 👏 & thanks for the reminder re recipes - I need a further cull of ‘cut out’ recipes 😉

Now, now Keiths_Mum - just remember that on working days your main decluttering task is to keep clutter out so  any physical or electronic decluttering is a huge accomplishment & should be acknowledged & celebrated👏 The other thing to remember is that the weekend is also the time to factor in a little TLC 😊 

Your Mum’s diaries & letters sound really interesting TC77 🧐 & hopefully your grandchildren will be grateful that you have kept them 😊 Excellent decluttering 👏 My To Do list is also getting longer but I am anticipating that at some point (in the not too distant future) it will start to reduce - I just have to remind myself that it is a marathon & not a sprint 😉 Maybe DD2 can flick a duster around whilst sitting on the naughty step 😅

A prodigious amount of work bit_by_bit 👏 - I honestly thought that you would end up with the in-laws missing the cruise, moving into your spare room & expecting you to wait on them hand & foot 😉 Very pleased that the last hurdle of negativeCovid test results has been cleared 🥳 Wishing you an uneventful trip to Southampton & being able to wave off the in-laws as they sail off 😊 Excellent decluttering amidst the stress of getting the in-laws ready for their cruise 👏 

How very sad Florenceem 😢 It has just struck me that one of the reasons that black bags are left outside is that the person donating doesn’t want to engage in a conversation at such a sad time - am surprised it has taken me this long to realise that 😔

Lovely to see you again Holmefarm 👋 & of course you are welcome to join us🙂  You didn’t fall off at all - you were just hiding in the Baggage Car 😉 & hopefully popping into the TLC Carriage every now & again🤞I have made a note of your target & look forward to hearing about your progress each month 😊

Excellent work EnergyShifter 👏

Good luck with decluttering your Dad’s stuff, TC77 🍀

Hope the child proofing doesn’t take too long charlies_tribe 🤞 Excellent decluttering 👏 & hopefully you can declutter the small leak without having to call in a plumber 🤞 Did smile at the notion of winning the lottery without purchasing a ticket 😁

vulpix not really convinced about the cat Russian dolls - so am rather pleased I didn’t get any 😅 Hope you & MrV are feeling better & enjoyed your late Christmas celebrations 😊 Loving your plans/intentions for 2023 - half the battle of decluttering is to prevent clutter 😉 Good luck & great success with the car boot sale - hopefully any earnings can be set aside for your wants 😊 Relieved to hear that DD1’s suitcase has arrived home but very sorry to hear that it is damaged 😔 Hopefully the claim will be paid out promptly🤞

Excellent work using the 23 minute method DundeeDoll 👏 Love the attic’s new designation “the room of requirements” 😊 Sadly my attic is simply ‘the attic of Doom’ 🙁

Excellent work Liverpool_Anne 👏 Sorry to hear that you are feeling down but pleased that you enjoyed your visit with the neighbour 😊 Thanks for mentioning the meet up with ex colleague 👏 - I really need to sort something out with my ex colleagues. Only managed to see one of them last year & of the other 3, I haven’t seen one of them for almost 3 years 😱 Where has the time gone 😔

Well done JingsMyBucket - as you say no need to set a number target the important thing is just to jump in & start your 2023 decluttering journey 😊 Good luck with your plans for today 🍀

Lovely post daisy_1571 😊 

You are welcome ruby_eskimo 🙂 Lovely thought but rather pleased that it was just a fleeting one 😉😉 Perhaps you can sub divide the make up into categories : 1) opened 2) unopened then deal with the opened ones first as 3) out of date 4) don’t suit me & 5) no longer like - bag up & escort them off the premises immediately- straight into the bin 🙂 Take a break & have a cuppa or a stiff drink & then work on the unopened make up. Again sub divide but this time into like or don’t like (if in date consider donating to a women’s refuge 😉) I know you can do it - especially with our encouragement 😊Existential crisis indeed 😉

A good start to your day florianatwobob 😊 Some TLC, an ambitious To Do list & a plan of action 👏Good luck 🍀 

-taff, I almost wish I had a stash of make up to work through - I do so like money off vouchers 😅 When my decluttering is back on track - I might have a look at the Frump to Fab thread  although I would probably settle for Frump to not quite so frumpy 😂 Have a good day & enjoy your ‘rootle’  - great word 🙂

Thanks to wort & vulpix for their observations about ‘sunk costs’ - very useful 👏

😲 Old love letters vulpix - did you read them before they were consigned to the flames? The ancestors letter could be framed & put up as interesting talking point 🤔 

Nice to see you SecondStar & thanks for your observations re sunk costs - financial & emotional 👏Perhaps take photos of the items you are decluttering & when you are settled in your new smaller home you can make a decision as to which hobby/potential money maker you reintroduce to your life 😊 It has taken me many years to realise that sadly I am not really an arts & crafts person 😔 However I do enjoy my knitting 🙂 & when I finally get my motivation back I will resume baking 😉 

You are braver than me Siebrie 👏 I have so many frogs & froglets that I think if I listed them all I would get absolutely nothing done 😉 Good luck 🍀

And I am caught up + the sun has come out 😁 I might even get dressed & tackle a couple of things on my To Do list 😉

MrsSD (a superwoman) 

Decluttering Target 2023: 33/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £5.00

Soontobeoap

Oh my goodness. What have I started. I am so inspired. I have never done so much in first week of January. You guys are encouraging and  I will just have to get over the tiredness! Anyway. I have uncovered the 2 rolls of lovely wallpaper that I bought to paper under the stairs and so have decided whilst all of the stuff has been removed I will paper it!!!! I think it will take about a day. 2 afternoons but every length has an angle or fiddly bit so we will see. One more bag disposed of from junk under there. ( incomplete tupperware, old peg bag falling apart, decomposing carrier bags etc)

With regard to sorting through close relatives houses, I was lucky with my sister that we did it together. We went through everything with a fine tooth comb but when one of us was over sentimental we gave the other a good talking to. We shared lots of laughs and tears and it bought us closer together. Then we put everything we had kept together so that all 4 siblings could choose things, filter out some and decide what might raise a bit more money for Mums care. It was very strange doing it whilst Mum was alive. She said she wanted nothing from her life but we took her a few bits to have in her room. It was amazing tbe amount of food, loo rolls and out of date medication that they had stored.

3 years later, my sister and I are still scarred and determined that our children wont have to go through all of the sorting and clearing that we had to do, so are both in the process of clearing our own houses. She is quite a bit older than me and is in the process of clearing her roof but I have decided that our christmas stuff and football programmes can stay there for a while. 

MadamMim2013

It’s been a stressful few days this end.. still, I have decluttered this weeks CBT appointment and am now having a cuppa and a read to digest everything (& a cry) before I begin putting a suitcase together for a few days away. 
It’s sadly the 1st year anniversary of my OH’s dads passing, I booked us some time away in Bude (our favourite place) to let him have some thinking/grieving time in a place I know he feels relaxed.
On another note, a whole black bag of clothes, shoes and books have reached the garage, awaiting drop off so I’m counting it as a win coz it’s out the house! 

Emptied suitcase (the one I want to use) of two suction bags full of OH’s old clothes.. sorted into keep & use, keep and put back in sucky bag (footy shirts) and charity.. only a couple items for the rag bag.
Now to refill case  
Also been under the sink, nothing to bin/declutter but a good scrub and put back tidy has made me smile..
Under the stairs is on the list for my return next week! 

Have been reading along and am so pleased for everyone’s progress and enthusiasm, it helps push me along and to give me ideas as to what else I can get done in the coming weeks..
Apologies if my post is a little discombobulated, it’s kinda how I feel today.. 🫣

donna73

@Siebrie good luck with tackling the frogs and froglets , I’ve started making a list too. Managed to get a couple of little ones ticked off yesterday. Plan is to get another one done today or tomorrow 🤞

@MadamMim2013 hope the break in Bude helps - such a beautiful part of the world. Well done on sorting out the clothes and under the sink.  I could do with putting “under the stairs “ on my list too! 

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger you never fail to impress… I think you do such an awesome job of keeping us all motivated with your words of praise and encouragement- Thankyou ! 

Update from last couple of days …

1. X3 used up dregs in toiletries bottles & recycled.
2. Unsubscribed from email list x5 -counting as 1 item as not physical
3. Paper scraps from planner x3 -recycling 
4. Birthday cards x2 made from craft stash & sent 
5. X 2 dregs of cleaning products used up and bottles recycled.
6. Packaging reused to send parcel 
7. Deleted apps x 4 counting as 1 item as not physical …Decluttering total so far 177/2023

retiredinfrance

I’ve been running alongside the train as fast as I can and now, with one leap, I’m on board.
I’m keeping my aim of 365 items out as it works for me . As Vulpix said -I too am at the maintenance stage with slim pickings, but there is a lot still to go.
Brie asked if anyone stores stuff in their car? I do , currently three baskets there reside, basically because they take up too much space in the house and I can set grocery shopping bags in them. 

Areas  still include using up toiletries and no buying of them or makeup .
No more jewelry, no more coats, no more craft stuff.There should be a few no mores but I’m still working on wearing out a small set of socks and underwear and tee shirts, so that everything doesn’t wear out at the same time. No more plants is another one I’ve just thought of- my mother never went to a garden centre in her life but had a beautiful garden from cuttings and gifts. 

Back to me - I’ve been under the sink…
1 towel into facecloth
1 facecloth into rag
3 dusters binned
4 tatty scrubbers binned
3 rusty teastrainers recycled ..
16 jam jars recycled 
1 bag of corks recycled 
1 bottle of 37 year old pineau binned and bottle recycled 
2 bottles of toiletry stuff unused to CS
4 uu garden gloves binned
1 pile of tissue paper recycled 
1 v ood bottle of mouthwash binned
1 pile of plastic spoons recycled
1 unused bobble hat-gift- to CS

total- 40/365=325/365
Of note is the lack of books - yes- I’m collecting them up and will add before I next go to the CS.

Some mantras for the year
Simplify- thanks Ruby Eskimo 
Bring less in
Reduce the CS habit
Re-evaluate 
Less is better-thanks Fayolle

And a warm welcome to newcomers- joining in here is the first step- enjoy- and as it’s meant to be fun as least I think so - don’t let it get you down .