2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Florenceem

The officer popped round this morning with a photo for my approval - it will be on the first slide - Mr F looking very happy in his uniform at the enrollment.

My new posh recycling bin arrived - J was here to carry it in.

I popped to town in the afternoon - paid in the cheque before I forgot where I had put it - my mind is all over the place - dreading Friday.

Decluttered today - useless steam cleaner to As.., old medications to the pharmacy and lot of dirt off the outside paintwork and slabs.

Dread to think how much water was used today - J seemed to be for ever filling up his bucket.

suprisinglynice

Still lurking and reading along,

Lots of stuff gone, soups made and distributed, various old school puddings baked and gone.

Went out today with a friend for a walk and coffee and spent time looking for new things for us to do together this year. Who knew that candlelight concerts are a thing?

Sending kind thoughts

Yorkie1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81870659#Comment_81870659

I've been to a candlelight concert in a fairly small venue - very atmospheric! They use LOTS of battery operated candles of varying heights. 😊

TC77

@floss i hadn't thought of it although when I made my bed and put the free but advertised as £45 (came with but after the mattress and no better than a good £15/20 cover) I thought how as kids we had thick old blankets folded double under our sheets and had thought of doing that.

I will try it.

Storage bag for donation hub and I've put already counted donations in it.

Have gone through the wicker ottoman in my room and found some towels to offer dd1 ans if not pass on and a pillow case for cat rescue place.

Dd1 hates my lloyd loom chair and ottomans so am working out what is best for her to help me with. I will offer her things as she'll be very selective while dd2 is a clutterbug at the moment but says she is trying to be less consumerist!

Dd1 coming Monday and then cousin 10 days later so being ambitious and aiming for 500 by end of feb. If I get 2/3 there i will be chuffed.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Daily To Do List - written the night before
2. Sort out sleep patterns - initial targets: bed by 03:00, up by 10:30
3. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc.
4. Commence ‘Operation Financial Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter
5. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed
6. Plan & Execute ONE Major Project - 2026 New Bathroom
7. Target 2026 items out

Wednesday is a bright crisp day with blue skies & some sunshine. A forecast high of 11°C (feeling 2° colder due to ESE wind) & low of 4° & no rain 🤞 (short shower late evening)
Went out for the second time this week - left the house at 14:30 & was back indoors by 16:25 having gone to Lewisham & dropped off a bag of knitted items & a bag of various bits + bubblewrap to the CS & bought birthday cards for the next 3 months. DH made me a coffee when I got in. I updated my paper accounts then watched TV & did some knitting. Dinner was sausages, mash & baked beans for DH & DSis. I had a lo portion of creamy bacon & pea linguine. Wudupa.

249 - 265 New double duvet set; new (still boxed) double bed mattress protector; knitted items - scarf, 8 adult beanies, 4 children’s beanies; duplicate hardback book; large carrier bag of bubble wrap to CS

266 - 271 Glass bottle, 3 plastic bottles, plastic jar, newspaper - recycled 

272 Kitchen detritus - binned 

Great work TC77 👏 More like with like & an inventory of your bedding 😊 Hopefully your cousin will help you declutter plenty more stuff 🤞 & you will realise how well you are doing 🙏

vulpix, great work getting most of the broken garden stuff to the Tip 👏 Keeping my fingers crossed that your car sailed through its service with no work required 🤞 Good luck shortening the curtains 🍀 I am hoping that all MrV bought was a new curtain track 😉

florianatwobob, how serendipitous 😊

Nice to see you Deb4 👋 Excellent work with the decluttering, tidying & selling 👏

Floss, great idea 😊

Florenceem, 🤩 J has worked like a Trojan & thoroughly deserves a Gold Star ⭐️ which is on its way ☺️ Keeping everything crossed that the items put in for sale at the auction house will sell very well & at top prices 🤞 Extremely generous of you to be donating the proceeds to the SA 🥹

Green_hopeful, love the reference to the Princess & the Pea 😅  but your bed does sound both comfortable & warm ☺️

Florenceem, a busy afternoon & well done on banking the cheque so quickly 👏  Thinking of you & sending many gentle cwtches 🤗 

Nice to see you surprisinglynice  👋 Well done keeping up with the decluttering 👏 Being nosy, can I ask what “old school puddings” you made?  Good luck finding new activities for you & your friend 🍀

Yorkie1, candlelight concerts sound magical 🥹

TC77, “I thought how as kids we had thick old blankets folded double under our sheets…..” my DMum did exactly that 🥹 Thank you for helping me to recall such a lovely memory 👏 Good luck with your target for February 🍀 with the help of DD1 & your cousin I do believe you will be successful ☺️

Sleep tight 😴

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐💐 

DH Awards: 🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 272/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £41.00

GrannyKate

Morning all. Quiet here this week. I went to a U3A group which we have decided to pause as not enough people coming to cover the room hire. Leader goes for a knee replacement today anyway. General pottering around this week but several frogs done. Will try to do some more today. Quiz group this morning (Bacon butties yummy). Waiting to hear from electrician again and no reponse so far from the builder. Will also try and contact a decorator. Two bags on the go - one for DD when she is here at the end of the month and another for CS. I may try and put some more stuff in garden bin this afternoon as it is collected tomorrow.

182-4 Frogs eaten up

Florenceem

Another wet day when I got up. My friend said that January was the wettest on record.

Mrs SD - the donated bits came from Mil's flat - she died in 2012 - they have sat in the glass cabinet all this time. I feel Mr F would have said - donate them to the SA. Mr F knew I would be okay with that and able to manage financially on my own - I am frugal when I need to be.

I got a text - an appt to see Dr on 23rd February to discuss my mri results - I looked at the letter I received from the hospital and it seemed okay.

I am in two minds about tomorrow - one it needs to happen and two - it is so final.

My friend is very wise - she has done lots of therapy work and courses. She said to empty the office and move all my bedroom stuff in - what I want to keep anyway - there is a full wardrobe to sort - mainly craft bits.

Then get the bedroom decorated - I will need new carpet - cleaned it after Mr F's mishap but it has been down 13 years.

I don't know how I will feel - sleeping in the office room while the bedroom is done. J will decorate the room for me.

I am thinking of a new chest of drawers and night table. Plus some blinds and curtains/curtain pole.

I will need to contact the Church builder about making or fitting some wardrobe doors.

I feel that keeping busy is the only way forward for me..

MadamMim2013

It’s been a very busy few days yet again with one thing or another and with pretty much zero energy or enthusiasm to be found!

Another few items into a bag ready for donating, cleared out a drawer while talking on the phone & found it much easier as I was concentrating on the conversation, It seems that the brain wasn’t being emotionally attached to “stuff” while I was otherwise engaged 🤣

Have a bag of books for my friend that I’ll deliver later today 😇

Not much else planned as my body rebels, should I try to do to much.. 😣

Thinking of you Florenceem, sending you much love and gentle hugs for tomorrow, I know MrF’s celebration of life will be well received and I hope you feel able to say what you wish to.💗

dND

Wow, everyone has been so productive!

@Florenceem I am thinking of you. 💕💕

Finally I had a dry day and I was free to work in the garden. 4 hours!! It took 3 hours just to cut the bramble back; it's a matted tangle so until everything was cut, nothing would fall or could be easily pulled out.
It reaffirmed my "nothing that fights back" mantra as not only did the swaying tendrils catch in my hair and clothing, one stuck into my cheek. 😱 After a bit of contortionism, being attached to the mass of bramble, I managed to detach myself and I think all the thorn is out.

There's still so much to do - that's about a third of the width that I did yesterday - but I can now get to a position where I can start going round the back to where most of the bases of the brambles are. It's very unlikely I will be able to dig them out because of all the other vegetation so my plan is to sever the stems a bit above ground level. I will then mark each plant with marker paint and as the regrowth appears I will spray them. Not the ideal situation but needs must as the saying goes.

I've already spent 1 hour cutting up the brambles and hopefully I will have filled all my garden waste bags by the time the kerbside collection resumes next Friday. Yes, I could take a couple of trips to the tip but I get a bit fed up evicting all the spiders and other wildlife from the car for weeks afterwards. 🤣

Today is far to windy and threatening rain to do more so I will go to the local knit and natter group. My aim, now that someone kindly sorted out where I was stuck on my tank-top pattern, is to finish any WIPs I can find.

After that? Who knows, I have so much choice. 🤣🤣

Well done everyone. Hugs and commiserations to all who need. Dxx

PS. I didn't find the link to the forums on the revised app - I had to search for forums and then pick one of those links. Did I just miss it in all the other information? I have to say that the overhaul, at the moment, feels more a "look at how clever I am at programming" app than something designed with the user interface as top priority.

2Scratters

@ilovetea re you decluttering your bendy carrots - if you place them in water they will revive. Change the water every2-3 days and will last a while like that.

@suzeesu2000 your spoilt cake would it have been ok to put into a trifle base?

@Brie the tale of not cleaning the car out 😄 I'm with you there mines nearly 3 1/2years. Need to hoover it as I may find my lost diamond.

2 Scratters xx