2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

florianatwobob

@littlemoney I’m forever cutting the ends of tubes of things and decanting into a screw top jar. I’ve got some excellent moisturiser ones saved for this very reason! 

suzeesu2000

Goodness me, yes. So remember when life was much tougher and I had to make every penny squeak. For the first ten years we were together, I had to do the washing by hand in the sink, no washing machine. Fortunately a friend gave us a very old spin dryer that DH had to mend using rivets and a baked bean tin, but it worked brilliantly. Had no garden so laundry was dried in a cupboard where the buildings hot water pipe was. Funny thing is, I never had piles of washing hanging round, used to do a bit every morning and managed fine. 

As a child I remember mum buying hand knitted clothes from the jumble sale in the village. Saturday night everything was washed and, if dry, on Sunday, it was my job to unpick the yarn and roll it into balls so mum could knit us something new. Dad had a mustard coloured cardigan that was reknitted into a jumper and then a sleeveless vest top as bits wore through. Mum was the village sewing lady too, she would make my nighties and petticoats from sheets that couldn’t be turned any more. She even made 3 bridesmaids dresses for me and 2 of my sisters for our other sisters wedding. March and it was snowing, she so happy as she wanted a real white wedding. The power cuts were quite exciting. We sat round the dining table playing cards or board games, listening to dads battery radio, hard days but they were good days.

Decluttered few random bits into the charity bag. 

All laundry done, dried and upstairs. Now have 4 pieces to iron tomorrow. 

Sold 3 mugs on Vinted, posted today.

my darling Frankie has totally shredded a small ottoman, little toad. I have the matching bigger one in the bay window, so handy for storage. He started clawing that so I got a roll of stuff off Temu, it’s like a very, very thin self adhesive carpet. The colour is a perfect match. Apparently kitties can scratch this stuff without causing any damage. I’ve ordered more to cover the damage to the small one. It’s about £2 which I would rather spend than the £15+ for a new ottoman. 

Hope this weekends storm isn’t as bad as they predict. Stay safe all.
Have a good night, sweet dreams xx

QueenJess

London_1 said:

I don't have to but I still try to use up soap scraps, and put them in a jar until I have enough to make another small bar to use for washing my hands. I still put water into the empty washing up bottle to make sure I've used every scrap. I like to donate what I can to either freegle or a CS as hopefully it can be used to help someone else.
So redistributing things is brilliant and reading on here how folk do it and pass things on is so much better than just binning things

JackieO xxx

I am happy to use the tiny bits of soap (I have small hands though) and when it gets too annoying I just stick the teeny bit left to the new bar.  It drives my OH nuts 

TC77

Love hearing about the old style repair and make do. My dad kept everything neatly sorted,  much in labelled blue ice cream cartons in the garage, parts and spares for cars we no longer have, everytype of oil and tools ( big woodworker) and he upholstered sofa and dining room chairs, but I remember him mending toys and my jewellery, but also  he had books on everything from sailing to art/ music.
 
I use the backs of envelopes for shopping lists and no paper goes out unless written on both sides and remember to take the laces out of shoes that can only be recycled.

I hate toiletries where you can't get lids off and must remember to cut them open if I can - good tip from others here.

Finally booked my trip to Australia- peak holiday so have decluttered ££££££. Flight only so far but reserved some accommodation.

Home from work and flopped ao need to motivate myself.

Its helps to think i have an abundance and can redistribute- the issue is thing that no-one wants but aren't  quite trash 🤔

QueenJess

TC77 said:

Its helps to think i have an abundance and can redistribute- the issue is thing that no-one wants but aren't  quite trash 🤔

I agree and I am sometimes guilty of picking up things on Buy Nothing that no one else will use and will get binned, but I know I will eventually use up (like wrapping paper, greetings cards etc).

Well my evening took an unexpected turn.. DD dropped a pen lid in DS's room and so I had to search around and under his bed to find it.  Oh my gosh the random stuff just rammed in everywhere... and then DD accidentally tripped over something on the floor and stuff was everywhere.  DS complained, but it wasn't her fault and she even offered to clear it all up (let's remember DS is almost 9 and DD is 4...).  I ended up taking everything off two of his shelves and all his bedside table, cleaning it all and then getting him to help declutter.  Shelves were rearranged to fit things in better (plus space for all the books he will be getting for his birthday next week).  Feels like we've barely touched the room... next up is the rest of the bookshelves (mainly need a good dust) and then the travesty that is under the bed 

I am really sick of sorting out DS's room all the time, but can't see an end.  He does get rid of stuff when you go through it with him, but it sucks up so much time and then he never stops bringing stuff in again so the cycle restarts.  I try to talk to him about it, but I'm not sure anything is going in.  He can't even do work on his desk and has to use a corner of the floor as it permanently has stuff on it and it doesn't occur to him to move it.  It's madness.

Given DS's never ending mess, I will have to add some new decluttering targets in for this year.

141 - DS tat recycled 
1 - DS unwanted stuff (Buy Nothing)
2 - DS tat (charity box)
1 - bathroom stuff used up

New total 319
Use it up total 109

Florenceem

@London_1  - my first husband mended all the children's shoes - 6 of them. Eldest daughter wore stilettos - there was a shop in town where you could buy all the heels etc you wanted.
Had a busy day - did 10,800 steps.
I have done 25 out of my list of 83 jobs now.
My jacket arrived - I wasn't going to undress so will try it on tomorrow with a uniform blouse.
My new ironing board cover arrived today - it is a bit big - will have to put some stitches in the rounded end.
I called at SA to drop off some carrier bags for the food bank and to ask for some printed notices about the COL. I will need to write to some people with the info.
I carried on with the food cupboard - just one shelf left to do.
I walked into town via feeding the birds. I took old medication to the pharmacy and donations to the charity shop.
I was about to get the local paper when I thought about taking the death certificate with me to the solicitor. I couldn't remember if they scanned it last week. 
So I walked all the way home - uphill and got it and then went to the solicitor.
I was only given Mr F's will - they kept mine which is no good anyway so I couldn't understand why. I asked about making a will - £750 and if I want advice about it - £261 per hour. I nearly fainted.
I took ink jet cartridges and batteries to Mr T and bought a drain cover in Wick.. 
I installed the new cover and threw away the old one when I got home. I got my neighbour's bin in for her and put a filled black sack in her bin.
I sorted some paperwork this evening.

Florenceem

Decluttered today - carrier bags, batteries, ink cartridges, 3 pens, ood food, trolley, paper, money bag, old medicines, packet of tissues, emery board, bead, plaster, drain cover, tissue, ironing board cover, plastic bag, paperwork and a file.

ionafan

littlemoney said:

I cut off the end of the toothpaste tubes when I can't squeeze anymore out. The result is 3 more days of toothpaste.

Good tip!  I do the same, but I think I usually get more like 6-7 extra days' worth of toothpaste - perhaps I'm getting weak in my old age!   But when DGS2 was about 3yo and staying here overnight, he got most upset when I put the toothpaste on his toothbrush, because "That's far too much, Granny - Daddy says it has to be no bigger than a pea!" so now I use only the equivalent of a single petit pois on my brush

suzeesu2000

@Florenceem, obviously you know your own mind and I hope you don’t mind me suggesting but keep a lookout on this site as there is often a special deal for getting a will done either free or very inexpensive. DH and I recently did ours and they were free. I know lots of charities will do it free and that includes SA - saw their advert on Facebook. Please don’t throw that amount of hard earned money away😱🙀

Florenceem

suzeesu2000 - I am not going to pay that much. I will ask solicitors in my town what they charge. I have seen that charities do wills sometimes.