No buying until I’ve used up ALL my stashes

jackieblack

I have realised that I have accumulated large quantities of various items, so I plan to reduce my spending in 2023 by using up what I have already accumulated first before buying any more, this should also free up some space and help with the decluttering! 

These ‘stashes’ have accumulated by me bulk buying when I see things that I know I will use ‘in time’ at bargain prices, then repeating before the original lot is used up.  Some things have been buried in storage in my spare/junk room and it was easier to buy more than find/unbury what I already had 😳.

But, as part of my decluttering efforts, and to save spending unnecessarily, now is the time to stop buying more and start using up what I already have.

My main stashes are:
1. Toiletries - two large plastic storage boxes full plus other bits tucked away around the house 
2. Cleaning/laundry products 
3. Stationery - a particular weakness of mine 😳
4. Knitting yarn - at least two dozen 100g balls of DK and about 10 of chunky, mainly purchased to make for my granddaughter - I have to confess that there is another parcel on the way already 😳 although, in my defence, this is a strategic purchase as I have some colours I know I wouldn’t use on their own but had no complimentary colours to use them with so (in the sale) I ordered some of the complimentary colours I was lacking which will hopefully make it easier to use up the stash…
5. Dressmaking fabric - a chest of drawers plus two large laundry baskets full, at least half of this was bought to make things for my granddaughter but I haven’t had the time to do any sewing for over a year! 
6. Two bulging freezers full of food - I plan to eat something from one of these every day until I can fit the rest into one freezer

At the moment there is too much stuff to take proper inventories - I will endeavour to do this once each stash has reduced to a more manageable size. 

This thread is intended for me to keep myself accountable and record my progress. Anyone is welcome to join me 🙂

jackieblack

30th December

Bacon taken from freezer
3 balls of yarn taken and started knitting a jumper for my granddaughter 
Conditioner taken from toiletries stash

Madbat60

I have loads of fabric and knitting wool too.  Plus cleaning products.  I started sewing a dress yesterday I cut out in September.

Brambleberry

Oh Jackie I feel seen! Especially 1,2,3 and 6. What a lovely prompt to make me think harder, so posting to follow and will check in when I can for inspiration.
I have sorted most of my toiletries stash into a little set of drawers by category and hope to shop it before I buy anything else, think I need to gift on a few nice hand creams as I can't possibly use them all before they lose their fragrance. 
My house would be cleaner if the cleaning stash was decreasing instead of increasing 
We will not mention the stationery stash at this point!
One freezer needs to be defrosted, so will have to work to get that emptied, it's only small, but winning at freezer-tetris.
This season has also revealed that I have an excessive gift-wrap stash, aiming to get this down to one small shelf and drawer this year, but more accessible so I know what I have available to use up.

jackieblack

Madbat60 said:

I have loads of fabric and knitting wool too.  Plus cleaning products.  I started sewing a dress yesterday I cut out in September.

Hi Madbat60 
I’m happy to know it’s not just me 😁
My sewing room (the box room) has become a bit of a junk room since I moved the junk from my daughter’s old bedroom (biggest bedroom) to turn it into my Granddaughter’s room when she sleeps here/guest bedroom.  

I have had several stabs at decluttering, but somehow the stuff seems to regrow! 😳

I am slowly unburying my sewing machine and sewing table… I hope to have a little more spare time at home in 2023 so hopefully if I keep plugging away I’ll get there eventually 🤞🏻

D123456789

@jackieblack I have subscribed. 

I have too many toiletries, and have cleaning products in that I don’t favour - so I either need to use them up or donate them instead of just increasing the number of cleaning products I have ! Thanks for the motivation 😊

wort

If you have open more than 1 of type ,e.g shampoo, decant them both into 1 and don’t bring out another bottle until that one is fully used up.

keep all toiletries/cleaning together in one place and like with like so you can see how many of each you have, and don’t buy more till you are down to last one. 

Remember offers are always on so don’t panic buy something just because an offer is on.
same with cleaning things and don’t be swayed by marketing hype , claiming they are better than what you already have.

if you have lots of shower gel repurpose as hand wash, face cream use as hand cream and so on.

Im not a crafter, though am aware of having a fantasy life we’re you imagine you will have time and see yourself happily spending hours patchworking, and have heard from others that just keeping enough stock for the projects you are definitely going to do this year and not keep everything just in case. also only buying materials when you are actually going to do a project.

sorry if you are already doing this ,just hoping to help.
good luck. 

jackieblack

Brambleberry said:

Oh Jackie I feel seen! Especially 1,2,3 and 6. What a lovely prompt to make me think harder, so posting to follow and will check in when I can for inspiration.
I have sorted most of my toiletries stash into a little set of drawers by category and hope to shop it before I buy anything else, think I need to gift on a few nice hand creams as I can't possibly use them all before they lose their fragrance. 
My house would be cleaner if the cleaning stash was decreasing instead of increasing 
We will not mention the stationery stash at this point!
One freezer needs to be defrosted, so will have to work to get that emptied, it's only small, but winning at freezer-tetris.
This season has also revealed that I have an excessive gift-wrap stash, aiming to get this down to one small shelf and drawer this year, but more accessible so I know what I have available to use up.

Hi Brambleberry - it does make me feel better to know I’m not alone 😁

Although I have to confess to a gift wrap stash too - I hadn’t even thought of that one! 😳 🤦🏻‍♀️

jackieblack

wort said:

If you have open more than 1 of type ,e.g shampoo, decant them both into 1 and don’t bring out another bottle until that one is fully used up.

keep all toiletries/cleaning together in one place and like with like so you can see how many of each you have, and don’t buy more till you are down to last one. 

Remember offers are always on so don’t panic buy something just because an offer is on.
same with cleaning things and don’t be swayed by marketing hype , claiming they are better than what you already have.

if you have lots of shower gel repurpose as hand wash, face cream use as hand cream and so on.

Im not a crafter, though am aware of having a fantasy life we’re you imagine you will have time and see yourself happily spending hours patchworking, and have heard from others that just keeping enough stock for the projects you are definitely going to do this year and not keep everything just in case. also only buying materials when you are actually going to do a project.

Thanks, I can’t disagree with any of that - I think we all know what we SHOULD be doing, but the execution has been somewhat lacking, for all sorts of reasons. 

mumf

We too shall be working through stuff. My illness means our income has crashed ,so the huge freezers and shelved stuff WILL be used and reduced. Be good actually.

jackieblack

mumf said:

We too shall be working through stuff. My illness means our income has crashed ,so the huge freezers and shelved stuff WILL be used and reduced. Be good actually.

Welcome, mumf 🙂
Sorry about your health problems but it sounds like your stocks will come in  handy