2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

gettingthrifty

Hello All

I'm well behind catching up on the thread but I will! Thanks to all for the nuggets of information you are sharing
Thank you very much Mrs SD for your fantastic cheerleading and my medal!! I feel very honoured and spurred on to keep the momentum. Still at tortoise speed here slow and steady but I know from the past this is the best approach so not to get overwhelmed also still addressing the behavior … the need to holding onto things
11 - insulated wool  from parcel delivery put on top of the wormery to keep them snug and working
11-31 (20) books boxed in car to take to NT second hand book shop (THEY MUST NOT STAY IN CAR note to self I must drop them next week)
32 - post dealt with on arrival, 3 parcels and 1 junk letter ( firmly told myself i do not need to keep parcel boxes and wrapping for someday)
33 - All christmas cards recycled , the cute, the lovely, the potential to make tags and shopping list from them. Promised myself once at maintenance i can consider that

Siebrie

I have started organising my outgoing items in paper bags:

- this Sunday I have to take to church: my Sunday school stuff, a tea towel I washed, home dec magazines for a fellow church member, empty honey pot for other church member.

- next time we go to my parents: new door handle that's missing a piece and its receipt for returning to the DIY store there, stamps.

florianatwobob

May I have a round of applause please? After minimal scouting for documents and only 1 call to HMRC (basically needing to break the online assessment form because of my unusual situation …..again) I have submitted my self assessment!

Other bits off the ambitious to do list also done (some more will be picked off tomorrow) including dropping 2 plastic Celebrations tubs into one of our local secondary schools. 

The school are going to chip them up and reform them into plastic sheets to be used in their design tech lessons. A far better use I think than just ending up in recycling. 

The mooch around town also yielded a huge, very good quality, embroidery hoop which I have uses for and two kilner style bottles with very firm clips. Birthday pressie for DSis in Early Feb and two books which may end up as presents. 

DundeeDoll

big round of applause indeed florianatwobob and to everyone else on this thread and of course to MrsSD for inspiring us every day.
Well payoff time for me - having got my bedroom straight today went to our local furniture shop (3 glorious floors) and while mum was in curtains (intended destination) i wandered off into bedding. There was a beautiful bed, in the sale, and now ordered. and all i've had to do is sweep the bedroom to prepare for its arrival on Wednesday (I moved up to DD2's old bedroom, inheriting her bed, when my marriage broke down, replaced the mattress, removed the hardboard between the mattress and springs not realising one side the springs had unsprung so new bed was indeed on the cards). I am soooooo happy. Today's 23 minutes has been final emptying of dd2's office (she's now on the middle floor) so she can start decluttering her bedroom. And we're only day 6 of the New Year (though I did get in practice Boxing Day onwards with 22 minutes a day) oh and we dropped all the squashed cardboard boxes off at the recycle on the way to the furniture shop. a good day all round.

daisy_1571

SecondStar said:

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!

Wow.  Nailed it with so many people im sure.  Lots of us have the 'imaginings' - eg keeping a large wicker basket for years for the wafting through the sunny flower filled garden with a wicker basket over arm and timotay dress even though we live in a terrace with tiny yard etc etc

Hard to let those close held ideas go but youre right, these things can come back into our lives at the appropriate moment. 


Daisy xxx

EnergyShifter

Day off but up early-ish as 9am plumber visit booked.  Unfortunately no water in the house due to a burst water main locally so rearranged for him to come later in the day.  Thankfully water back on before long but it meant that I was hanging around a lot and didn't get to make the most of lovely bright weather .  Plumber has made a start and we will see whether its worked or not over the weekend 🤞.  He can come back on Monday or Tuesday if not.  

Inexplicably tired I went to bed for a power-nap early afternoon - woke up 2 1/2 hours later and it was dark.  I feel rested but disoriented & a little like I've wasted my day off - although I feel sure if someone else said that I'd tell them they clearly needed the rest. 

Tasks Completed:

• Plumber visit 
• Email back & forth with earphone company - I think its resolved now - hopefully I'll get refund soon.

Stuff - IN (running total 4): 

5. Ball of wool for a project

Stuff - OUT: (running total 16)

17. Toilet roll holder

Muddy Walker:  I hope you don't feel too bad after your medical procedure - sending good wishes & virtual flowers 💐

Floriana -  A massive applause for you completing your tax return.  👏  I haven't looked at mine yet - Spurred on by your good example - I will pledge to at least open Pandora's box of receipts by the end of the weekend.   

DundeeDoll: Well done for getting yourself a beautiful new bed  

villagelife

I'm afraid this thread is too fast moving for me to keep up with and declutter!

I will try and read some but will post to keep a track of what is leaving the house.

34-37 Christmas decorations
38 Christmas tree
39-41 more bottle bags that I can't re-use
42 more shredding
43-44 empty candle tins
45-46 calendars
47-48 post to DS2

That's all for now.

~FlowerPot~

So still have a pile awaiting in the lounge.

But I have been through the porch and sorted the shoe basket, removing 2 pairs that are too small. and gave the walls a dust and wipe down and also cleaned the front door and surrounds, so yey me!

1 of 18 rooms ticked off

(and nearly 2)

Also went through bathroom bottles and sorted through the empty ones, how can we have 4 empty and they still be on the shelf!!

Florenceem

Still doing well here - at 72 items now against day 6 aim of 21.
Decluttered today - 
Sauce Bottle x 5 - rinsed out and put in a casserole
Hat 
Scarf 
Pedometer 
Pyjama Top 
LS Tee Shirt 
Cardigan
Pyjama Bottom
Tee Shirt 
Jumper x 4   

Madbat60

Not much decluttering today. Put a coat in the Salvation Army bin last night on my way to the gym last night. DP bought a new one for Christmas.  I went food shopping today, can't believe it's gone up again.  At least Sunday dinner is already in the freezer as I bought some beef before Christmas and froze it.