2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

dND

Thank you @TC77,  @vulpix , @London_1, @StickyTheStickInsect and @Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Mrs SD Thank you for my medal. 😁

Cranky40, I’ve not been in this house long and my neighbours either have no pets or have dogs and as my senior cat has also been banned from all the litter trays by the youngster, I don’t think they would want to take on all the cleaning up as well!  I’ve no idea how much longer I have with her, and I want to be with her as long as I can – we’ve been through a lot together. ☺️

Well, I was hoping that things were going to calm down but as one thing waves goodbye, something else turns up.  I though I’d got one big frog almost turfed out of the house but checking the paperwork for my lasting power of attorney documents I realised that they had only been signed by one of my children/attorneys and not all of them. Cue panic racing round getting signatures.  With luck I’ll get the paperwork sent off the end of this week or early next week. 🤞🤞

It's that time of year when putting the garden to bed is suddenly upon us – I’ve just removed one of the greenhouse tomato plants to the compost heap and the others will be following in a week or so.  Yet another trim of the encroaching brambles has been done and currently there are 2 garden waste bags ready to go out on Friday.  I was hoping to get more filled but rain looks like it will stop play.

More money is about to be decluttered.  I was sawing up the old wood that was lying around the garden and my electric saw started making a funny noise – I think that the bearings are going.  Mind you I have had it since 2020 and it has been used and abused doing sterling work in France as well as here.  Time is being decluttered researching a replacement.

Then the IT gremlins decided to come out to play this afternoon.  All I wanted to do was print a few sheets of paper and get on with the filing, but the computer and the printer decided that they had fallen out and refused to talk to each other.  Nearly 4 hours and a couple of reinstalls later and I have a working printer again.  The supposedly simple, do-it-all-for-you technology, wasn’t!  And getting to the place where you could run setup again  - well to be honest I don’t really know how I got there.  The first half a dozen times it didn’t give me the option and then just before I was going to throw my toys out of the pram, it cooperated. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

But tomorrow is another day and hopefully as I go through the junk that came out of my study I will find lots to go out. 😁🤞

Well done everyone on your achievements. Dxx

StickyTheStickInsect

DD and DS2 have a new floor! Clearing their room wasn’t as painful as expected and we removed the wobbly wardrobe quite easily as it was pretty busted. This evening was spent taping out where we might put dividing walls and trying to fit in their furniture, I think it is a task to be tried again tomorrow!

DH didn’t make it to Battersea today, he accepted defeat, he could have got into London but not across it and worked locally instead.

I forgot to update my total on my last post, 231/104 (312)

The fitted wardrobe went to the tip on Sunday and was the equivalent of 8 bags. DS2’s bunk bed was collected by someone on the local freebies site on Sunday too and that was the equivalent of 6 bags.

This makes my new total 245/104 (312)

vulpix

about 20 plastic coat hangers recycled.

 batteries recycled.

 An old pair of glasses to be dropped off at spec savers when we next go to our nearest town which SHOULD be Thursday to sign the all important document.

Chocolate drinker, most impressed at the typing your list out as much as the decluttering. 

 Happy Kitties, very pleased to hear you are feeling better and you managed to go gadding about with your friend. I love a bit of gadding about, you can't do too much of it in my opinion. I have started to crochet blankets for your charity. Crochet helps me feel productive at the moment as my hands are so tied with the non house move. At this rate there will be a crochet blanket mountain!

 When I opened my shed I was greeted by a giant cardboard cheese! Mr V put it there after the carnival in the summer and forgot about it. It can be returned to the pub it belongs to on Thursday.

 I packed the utensil drawer in the kitchen tonight, plus baking trays etc. I am having to try and keep myself busy. I am stressing about EVERYTHING. Waiting for a removal firm to get back to us with a quote. Don't care about a quote at this point, just want it all over and done with.

 Oh, listed some garden stuff for free, should be collected tomorrow, well today actually.

 I am another night owl. How I ever used to get up early and go to work I don't know.

 Laters Vx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks
2. Concerted effort to sort out sleep patterns - Realistic targets: bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 10:00 a.m 
3. Continue dealing with mail & email on a daily basis
4. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc
5. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter
6. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Monday continued: watched Countdown - didn’t do very well today ☹️ Now watching old episodes of The Yorkshire Auction House. Dinner tonight is chicken fried in a little olive oil & butter, boiled new potatoes & peas as today is one of DH’s 800kcal days. I also found a smaller plate to make his meal look bigger 😉

After dinner DH went for his walk. 

1663 - 1668 Kitchen recycling, magazine, cardboard packaging, cardboard box, glass bottle, drinks cans - recycled 

1669 - 1670 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned 

Lovely chatty post Dizzycap ☺️ Wow a busy & stressful Saturday 😩 no wonder you fell into bed at 6pm & were awake early Sunday. Thank goodness you were on hand to help your 92 year old neighbour especially getting them to the hospital 😇 💐 Apart from the broken ribs, I do hope they are OK & that they have other assistance apart from you 🙏 A very busy night - such a shame that RM quad locker wouldn’t open ☹️ Hopefully it will get sorted out soon 🤞I do hope you managed to get to bed after the dawn watering session 🙏

BlueJ94, re This “OH accidentally woke me up on the only day I get to sleep in! So im half tempted to just stay awake now and get stuff done. I dont know if I should be annoyed im awake at this time or thankful! 😆 I am hoping that OH wants you up & about as he wants to surprise you with lunch out 🤔🤞Good luck with the washing & drying + the paperwork 🍀

TC77, that is one heck of a dream 😧 Presumably brought about by the thought that you will need the birth certificates for some particular reason 🤔 Very handy that you already own a suitable documents box so that once found they can be safely stored 😊 I was so, so happy to hear This “Lovely neighbour....I go there for a cuppa and natter and always say I'll invite her when my house is ok. Popped round her key and she offered me a cuppa and I said impulsively to one round mine when I got back from the shops ( had been thinking of inviting her Friday for time to tidy). Anyway 40 mins was enought to tidy kitchen/ dining room living room and study  and she's good with patterns so offered to help look at samples for sofa covering. Wanted to show her bits of furniture which may end I'm same room.. fortunately she thought the one I'm drawn to most was the best…..so pleased I invited her into the house, I think the first person this year apart from  dB and my cousin!” ☺️ This shows just how far you have come along with your decluttering 🥹 Great work 👏

So lovely to see you Deni_debt-free_dreamer 👋 No need to apologise - RL has a habit of getting in the way 😉 You certainly have kept “the decluttering faith” 🤩 Excellent & eclectic decluttering 👏 you have certainly been busy 👏 I am awarding you 2 Gold Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ - one for the general decluttering & one for dealing with paperwork 😊 I am also awarding your DD & her bestie a medal 🏅🏅 each. Hopefully with the ‘bestie’ helping people declutter/organise, you have picked up a few useful Tips 🤞Again it is lovely to see you & I hope we see a bit more of you now ☺️

GrannyKate, what a lovely display cabinet 😊 & how handy to have DS2 available to build it for you 👏 You also have some beautiful pieces of glassware 😻 I especially like your collection of vases 😊 Great work with the cleaning & tidying on Saturday 👏 & hopefully the plasterers won’t make too much mess 🤞 Excellent decluttering 👏 Remember………no more underwear 🙊

Happy_Kitties, so pleased to hear This “Back up and functioning without overdoing it. Even managed a small trip away which had been pre booked, fortunately with a friend who is a medic who not only did half the driving but was handy for any medical stuff! But feeling more normal and even managed to drop off my shoebox neutral items yesterday.” 🥹 Excellent decluttering of both general & neutral items 👏 Sounds like your robo-vac needs GPS 🙊

Excellent work in your front garden Willowtree222 👏

QueenJess, some excellent decluttering especially for a Sunday 👏

BlueJ94, that is a stupendous amount of decluttering in 3 hours 👏🤩 Definitely merits a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way 😊

Lovely to see you Chocolatedrinker 👋 You have been busy 🤩 Some excellent & eclectic decluttering & a lot of it 👏 🥳 I am awarding you TWO Gold Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ as you are over halfway to a 2025 target (I have made an assumption 😉) Looking forward to seeing you a bit more often ☺️

Brilliant work BlueJ94 👏 You should be so proud of yourself  🥹 You made the decision to tackle the room of doom on the 27th August & remembered to take a photo which you posted on the 29th & now just 11 days later your room of doom is no more + you have clear floor 🤩🥳 That definitely merits a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way ☺️ Congratulations 🙌 

Flagging a bit now & need to do the washing up before I go to bed 😉 Sleep tight 😴 

Forgot to mention that on his walks today was 1. accosted by a collie who wanted to play & 2. jumped on by 2 squirrels when he was sat down resting - one on his shoulder & one on his knee 🙂 He is an animal magnet 😂

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🌟 ❤️ ❤️ 🏅 💐 💐 💐 🏅🥉🏅 🎂 🌟⭐️⭐️❤️ 🍫🐾 😍🥇🥇 💐 🏆 ⭐️🌟💐⭐️

DH Awards: 🏅 ‘Squirrel Whisperer’ ⭐️ 🏅 🏅

DSis Awards: ⭐️ ⭐️ 🏅

Decluttering Target 2025: 1670/2025

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £379.00

BlueJ94

Morning all, so I've sat down with my cuppa and done some quick life admin. What i say next some people may or may not agree with.

Ive taken out a new credit card with a 0% transfer fee, I know i know before people lecture me. BUT the reason why is my one credit card APR is 37%! Im going to transfer the balance of that straight onto this new credit card, it has a transfer balance offer of 6 months. So I have no choice to sort myself out or be back at square one.

They approved me straight away which I was a little shocked with at first, but its made me realise that I need to get my bum into gear NOW! Not tomotrow, next week.. but NOW!

Willowtree222

Transferring your card where you are paying zero interest compared to 37% is the best option. It makes perfect sense. Even Martin suggests people do it provided they dont further spend on it, but it sounds like you are determined to get rid. I think it is a good idea. Paying the debt off completely and not just the interest. 

BlueJ94

Willowtree222 said:

Transferring your card where you are paying zero interest compared to 37% is the best option. It makes perfect sense. Even Martin suggests people do it provided they dont further spend on it, but it sounds like you are determined to get rid. I think it is a good idea. Paying the debt off completely and not just the interest. 

I agree! Im hoping having the time limit makes me sort it quicker! Also before I was never able to get a 0% card because of my credit.

daisy_1571

Bluej94 that's a great plan.  All the money you were paying in interest is now going to be going to pay off your debt. 

Heres the but though.....BUT of course you must be strong and not put any fresh debt on either card. 

There are many techniques to sorting yourself out from constant debt and counter intuitive though it may seem, a couple of months paying a smaller amount to the card and building some savings may be right for you.   This way when the next thing hits that you would usually have to out on the card, you will already have money saved for it. 

Dxxx

BlueJ94

daisy_1571 said:

Bluej94 that's a great plan.  All the money you were paying in interest is now going to be going to pay off your debt. 

Heres the but though.....BUT of course you must be strong and not put any fresh debt on either card. 

There are many techniques to sorting yourself out from constant debt and counter intuitive though it may seem, a couple of months paying a smaller amount to the card and building some savings may be right for you.   This way when the next thing hits that you would usually have to out on the card, you will already have money saved for it. 

Dxxx

Thanks for the advice! I think ill freeze the other card until im fully confident that I won't use it.

Yes thats a great plan ill set aside some extra to put into savings!

QueenJess

Just checking in quickly with more things used up, including a moisturiser I've been working on for the whole year!  Tidying 10 sticky things a day is getting very hard now as it's only really my library left with those things in and sorting 10 things is a bit ambitious.  However, I'm slightly extending it to putting away other bits and pieces so the house hopefully remains tidy.  I might also start using it for filing/sorting the remaining digital photos.

Digital:
2 - photos deleted

Physical:
1 - jam jar (recycled)
1 - completed puzzle book (recycled)
1 - bathroom supplies used up 
2 - sticker sheets used up
2 - paper reused then recycled 

New total 4,974
Use it up total 362
Mini freezer challenge +4/-20
Big kitchen declutter challenge 120/150