2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

TC77

A lesson about using things up reminded by the reference to gift bags, found the glue on some has dried out (prob 8 + years old, and tried with PVA so chucked, was a bottle bag so luckily I noticed first.

Thinking of taking a set of photos of my house before new year and can then see how changed during the year.
Dropped off return parcel for DD1 and for me, sold some fabric and posted. Lovely lady who had been looking for the same Osborne and Little fabric I will never use - not to give away things  now to put more things in CS file.

I am using up DD2's left over exercise books, some only had a few pages used up but went through and found some could be thinned out or so thin just took paper out and put in bulldog clip as a notepad. I scribble notes all the time so get through these, and some other paper clutter out.
Arranged for CS furniture place to pick up couple of things in the new year.

Found xmas presents that DD2 had for friends about 4 years ago so going to put with Xmas decorations and can then go to CS in Nov/early December.

Brie

For those that do a lot of selling.....

HMRC announce new tax rules 'from January 1' and some face 'costly shock' (msn.com)

dND

Hi all, I hope you all survived the storm without damage.

I decided to 'do' the local sales today and was very pleased with myself.  I found a reason to put just about everything back on the shelves.  I could see that they were generally want's and not needs and told myself that if I really, really wanted something I would have the money for it as I hadn't wasted it on pretty bits and pieces that I'd just though were nice at the time.  I did however buy a couple of nail brushes for when I move into the new house.  Rock and roll me! 🤣🤣

My other buy was a pair of fingerless mittens.  I've been holding off buying gloves as I have many pairs in storage but finally gave in as my hands were so cold.

I've made a decluttering start though.  Earlier on I started doing competitions and ended up signing on for many emails.  I stopped a month back as I thought I was moving so I'm pretty sure that if I'd won any of the competitions I would know by now.  So the last few days have included dozens of unsubscribe actions.  I have a separate email for competitions which makes it easy to control/ignore.  If there's a subscription that I actually want, then I subscribe to that on my main email address.

No Christmas present to deal with here either.  My children and I agreed no presents this year as I would only have to try and store then move them, plus with me being out of the country for so long we need to find out what each of us wants - we've also realised that we each have some strong autism/ADHD traits and are working towards managing those and resetting our relationships.  My daughter though did buy me some pretty silver and amber earings for my birthday, that I love. We, (DS1, DiL1, DD and I), all had a wonderful relaxed Christmas but missed my DS2 and DiL2 who live near LA.

D 💕💕

TC77

@Brie thanks for sharing about HMRC, not sure I would usually get anywhere near this amount, but some people might and if I had a mega clear out this year who knows? 

London_1

Todays Daily Mail had a big spread about decluttering today !!!
JackieO xx

QueenJess

@Brie a good reminder for the limit and I'd forgotten I'd read about this at some point during the year already re: the new system.  The article title is completely misleading as nothing has changed re: the actual rules, it's just that they will have a system in place to find people who are not reporting their earnings over the £1k limit.  I am time poor and so don't sell... just try to remember now not to buy in the first place!

Saying that, I have been on a complete buying spree clothes/accessories wise for myself and I really do need to stop.  I have put my whole existence on hold for the last 6 years for kids and something about releasing myself from my depressing job and putting my own career aspirations first has made me feel more alive and more like myself than I have for years.  It's snapped me out of existing rather than living and as I've not bought clothes since pre-kids, I have been having a lot of fun making myself a completely new wardrobe (all second hand though), which is completely me.  I don't have a huge amount of clothes still, although more than I did and it will be a longer term process to ensure everything I have in the wardrobe is worn and I love.  I wore a skirt the other day which I love and DD was very confused as I live in trousers for practical purposes at home and never spend time on myself.  Well no more... 2024 will be the year I look after myself as no child wants to see their parent existing rather than living.  I think I will set myself a £ limit for my clothes each month in my budget in 2024 as I've not had a budget for it for a very long time.

I also have a lot of packaging now, which will slowly leave the house through Buy Nothing donations and charity donations throughout 2024.  Hoping to whittle that down to nothing eventually, but will see how that goes.

Some more digital decluttering to report:
2 - digital notes deleted
1 - contact deleted
2 - text conversations deleted
63 - photos deleted
2 - emails deleted
22 - favourites removed from wish list

My new total is 39,801.  199 to go!

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, test was still positive, it's now 8 days since I first tested positive and 11 days since I first felt ill, really fed up with it now. We are down to our last tangerine and have started on the tinned fruit. I still have some cooking apples that I will be using tomorrow, baked with dried fruit soaked in orange juice and sprinkled with cinnamon. I decluttered the last of the fresh veg, along with some from the freezer into a batch of veg stew for tea and had a clear out of 1 of my cupboards, 2 items into the bin as ood annoyingly. 
We both slept a fair bit again today but I did manage to stay awake long enough to watch both forest gump and the godfather all the way through while doing some crochet so that is an improvement . We have both got lists of things we have either missed the start of or missed the end of as we have nodded off
Not much else done, a few text messages sent and OH continues to have to send in oxygen readings daily, been doing this since the anti viral infusion, and also receives check up phone calls every other day so I can't complain about the service at all. 

I think I will have to finally admit I am not going to meet my target but that's life, you can't win them all and I will keep going Right off to bed now, hugs to anybody who would like one

1697 + 1698 ood pantry items
Take care everyone
1698/2023

DundeeDoll

Greetings all I'm reflecting here on 2023 - it's been a very full on year with mum moving in end of September 2022 and DS's stuff being in my house at the start of 2023 while he waited to complete. I probably managed about half my intended 23 minutes per day and am looking back with a half full rather than the (all too easy) half empty philosophy. DS's stuff has gone, mum and I have decluttered a heck of a lot (CS, asking friends if they have need of a, recycle, dump in that order). i've found new places to recycle and my grey bin has rarely been full which I am very happy about. I've joined the cathedral choir (was going to audition when i retire then thought that could be 7 years away, why am i delaying?!), and this month got back to piano playing (personal interest only!) and my online workouts. I've also managed a heck of a lot at work and am cautiously confident about 2024. For 2024 I'll be aiming at 24 minutes declutter days I'm here (that was an error I made for 23 minutes, as I travel a fair bit with work so feeling I needed to cover those away days to do on average 23 minutes a day, not managing made me despondent). So like you Liverpool-Anne I've not reached the target I set beginning of 2023 but I've accomplished a heck of a lot, learnt a bit about setting realistic targets and the importance of celebrating how far I've come rather than how far I've still to go.  

Moorviews

@TC77 - thank you for mentioning about the glue failing due to age on gift bags. I am going to move a surplus to CS in the coming year. I’ll make sure to check that they are okay first though. 

This part of the year is when I go through some files and folders to see what I can fling. I am on a seven year cycle with my household folders - I have seven complete ones plus the current year therefore I will recycle everything from the 2016 folder except the bank statements. Then I will have the empty folder and polythene sleeves ready for 2024. I have a lot of other paper to dispose of, including my professional paperwork so I am going to get a sack that will go to a shredding facility. It will certainly help to speed up the process as I only have a small domestic shredder. 

@Liverpool_Anne - It took ages for me to test as negative for Covid after the last bout. I think the tests are quite sensitive once it has been in your system. I’m glad your OH is being well looked after. It does sound as though you have managed a very successful clear down of your food stocks even if it might not have been your chosen method. 

I am continuing to post on this thread until the 31st then will move to the 2024 thread. 

~FlowerPot~

morning, been awake way to early this morning and spent much too much time on here reading diaries, not feeling like getting moving! But will be heading off to the post office shortly with a lego item that has sold on the bay of E yesterday. So thats another item out the door.

Need to list some more and get moving on sorting my coin collection which I am selling too!

Have a good day all

Flowers x