2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

grandmanerd

I'm starting small. Limited energy, suffering from lurgy (I'm not going to document the symptoms as they change as I'm thoroughly fed up with it). I'm still using last year's diary as it has lots of useful notes pages at the back. The front half has been being used for puzzle workings and the pages torn out and recycled as they are used. 

So 2 sacks of rubbish, 1 each of paper recycling and cans and and bottles. I have also evicted 2 small bottles of milk from the back of the fridge (bbf Dec 8th - though they might have been in the freezer and brought out with the pre-Christmas selections). 6/2026. Mrs Builder will take those out when she arrives, as there is frost outside the back gate and on plants in the yard.

The fridge is now mostly clear apart from the fresh veg/ salad drawer at the bottom. Will work through/ meal plan with those. Needed to do a small order yesterday and have included soft sandwich fillings - I have wraps and can add chopped peppers/ celery/ radish as toppings. I also included cooked roast chicken breasts to have as dinners (with multiple veg including the remaining scraps from the things DS1 brought me).

I am also identifying 'problems' which are acting as road blocks eg
Pills+  I sorted out my pill box last month. Previously prescription meds were in 2 long thin boxes (in use on the top tier of my trolley, top ups on the second tier. I found a small shoebox which takes a whole 2 months worth of prescription meds and that's working well. Then I have the rest - supplements including 2 originally given as prescription items, tubes of 'medicinal' creams - ibuprofen gel, antiseptic cream, bite cream and various skin soothers/moisturisers (quite a lot as I'm concentrating on using up all the last bits but taking note of my preferred products to purchase when the 'use-ups' have gone) and then all the tinies - ear drops, soothing eye drops, sleep balm which is lavender, so works well on headaches too, vix to smother everwhere. The last group causes most problems because of their size - they need to be close at hand, vanish between/ under larger tubes, fall, roll under furniture. 
Loose Notes. Lots of scraps from old diaries/ notebooks/ address books which need to be entered in the new books (several of the old ones fell apart due to over-use). This is not the most visible (ie will not make a visual difference in the overall 'mess') but it causes most time wasting - where is the new phone number for the doctor (oh I wrote it on the top of the appointment letter I was doing at the time). Will work on this in down time over the weekend - it is all collected together again in a small bag for life. 

boultdj

I did some sausage rolls and cheese & tomato pasties yesterday, feel free to help yourselves, and the rubbish got taken out to the bin. I did get rid of 40 e-mails as well.
Todays plan is take the cards down and do some more baking, but sweet treats this time, there is a jar of lime marmalde need to be finished off, I'm thinking a cake.

Fizz2015

Wow I have a 160 posts to catch up on! Nice big of reading later. 
Can I count an assignment as decluttering! Submitted my first assignment for my Project Management qualification last night, over 5000 words and taken me months. Just couldn't get my head round it, but I persevered, kept chipping away at it and I've done it! I'm of proud of myself! Only 9 left to complete but think the rest are easier & shorter. New Year resolution is to spend 26 min a day studying for qualification. 

Deb4

So far I have gone through some receipts and recycled the ones I don't need, I sold a item on vinted yesterday so that have been posted, I have some more to upload today and I have deleted some emails I really need to keep on top of these, also has sorted some magazine out and will take them to college on Thursday for using in the upcycling craft course I am doing.

Done 2 loads of washing today as it is sunny but cold need to see what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, my DS doesn't go back to school until Tuesday so will have a look at something to do on Monday.

For the rest of today going to watch football on TV as we have a early kick off and finish my course work off.

Happy Saturday everyone 

pavlovs_dog

@grandmanerd - I'm likewise tackling one of those annoying jobs that doesn't make a huge difference overall but does make life a bit easier long term.  As someone who hates unnecessary waste, over recent years I started saving up my old candle remnants with a view to melting them down to make new ones.  My candle cupboard now runneth over with dead, unusable candles or brand new ones that I don't currently want to use as they are the wrong scent for the season.

I've spent some time today making new candles from skeletal remains of candles past.  Whilst the net gain in terms of space is 'only' 2 large jars, more of what is in the cupboard is at least now usable.

Key lessons from today:
1. I do not need to by any more candles this year at all, and probably don't need to buy autumn/winter scents for at least another 2 years.
2. Clean the wax melting pot before you put it away in future so it's ready to go straight away.
3. The mini yankee candle jars might look cute but are harder to (re)use than votives with wider openings.  They can be recycled when next empty.

vulpix

 I am inspired reading all your posts, but I MUST stick to my plan of taking the Christmas decorations down today and putting them away. I am so easily distracted and would jump onto doing something else half way through a job if I am not very disciplined with myself. There will be items to go from Christmas decorations but I do have room to keep them for the charity shop until November.

 The new to us fire surround came home on the roof of the car. It is in the dining room. I need to think about where it can live for the time being. It has been very lucky in its 120 odd years life in that it has never been painted. It is English oak, with some TLC it will be splendid.

 We have finally had the bill for the house rewire so I will declutter some cash over to him.  Right do that now before I forget!

 laters Vx

Jellybaby

What busy bees you all are!  All the Christmas decs are down and stored away in the garage. Did go through them but only binned a couple that were broken.

A charity bag is due for collection on Monday which is great timing as DS1 is having a clear out before he heads back abroad.

Pennypincin

Thank you for being encouraging everyone.
I feel motivated to start decluttering again.
I've a charity bag on the go with gloves that are too small and something else in.
I've had lots of stuff come in and not much out, plus will have a few items coming in, but aim to be mindful about what and how much.

I_Love_comps

I am new here for this challenge 

1
Thrown out a small packet of saccharin tablets - we don't use these , probably why they went out of date 
2 Used up Facial Oil - put in to recycling 
3 used up facial cleanser - packaging to recycle 

EcoIntent

No decluttering for me yesterday. Today have sold and dropped off a Cath Kidston luggage tag - BUT also picked up my pre new year vinted buys that had arrived at the locker (cook books, crochet and macrame books, some flatpack postal boxes and also a new pair of swimming goggles)  - two more still to arrive, so far more has come in than gone out!!!

Also got a fresh bunch of flowers. 

I am doing a low buy this year, and working on getting on top of the grocery budget. Decided as others counting the decluttered items will be too much to keep up with so dropping that!

Overall, with any luck this month, we will end up with a net reduction of things. Although at least the incoming are things I currently want and will use