2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

BlueJ94

Okay so 4 items decluttered from the bathroom, half used lotions etc. So my new tactic, anything I pick up and question if i want it/need it im going to think when was the last time I looked for the item or remembered I had it.. more than 1 month? Off it goes!

Florenceem

The room feels warmer with the laminate down. Builder J may be here tomorrow - if not Wednesday.

All the clothes I unpacked from black sacks were keepers - for now - sure there must be clothes somewhere else.

If J doesn't come here tomorrow - I will go out to get a spirit level ready for making shelf units.

Before of the floor -

Now - looks messy because no skirting board. The new stair carpet will be brown.

Brambling

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942639#Comment_81942639

good ideas thanks Floss.

lunch out today with a old friend I use to flat share with in the late 80's early 90s which turned into dinner, we did our 10000 walking around the park between eating and drinking 😁 she moved back home to Cheshire when she retired. Lovely to not think about clearing friends flat. And even through we haven't seem each other for years we picked up where we left off

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

Monday is a dark overcast day with a forecast high of 12°C (feeling 6° colder due to a brisk NW wind) & a low of 7°C. DH has popped out to bank a tax refund cheque for my DB & to post his old passport. I had loads of mail today which has been dealt with - mostly filing with a bit of shredding. I have again done nothing but watch TV & knit. For dinner we finished the last of the chicken, boiled new potatoes, sweetcorn & green beans. Wudupa.

572 - 574 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, newspaper - recycled 

575 Kitchen detritus - binned

Lovely post Moorviews 😊 Good luck with Mission Paper Decluttering 🍀 Hopefully there is not too much work to be done to complete your craft projects 🤞

vulpix, pleased to hear that fitting the blinds didn’t cause too much angst 😊 Hopefully it won’t be long before the upstairs rooms are sorted & the bathroom reverts to only being a bathroom rather than a storage room 🤞 Well done to DD1 👏

Brie, I always struggle to find socks that fit well - I have fairly large feet & rather thick ankles & ‘chunky’ calves 😔 The cashmere/wool socks sound lovely ☺️ 

Lovely post Green_hopeful 😊

Apologies for falling behind with the cheerleading 😞 I will try harder. Sleep tight 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐💐⭐️💐 

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 575/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £73.00

GrannyKate

Quick post as I need to get dressed and move my car before painter arrives. @Florenceem - the hallway looks nice. Floor is similar to what I have in my kitchen and what is being laid in my hall. New skirting has been cut and left loose until floor is laid. I need to get the outer hall section done and then floor can be laid. DS2 came and removed random electrical and other bits from the hall - defunct burglar alarm and control panels, old phone and internet sockets etc. Still some wallpaper to remove and some wooden plate shelf most of which has gone already. I booked plumber to come and replace bedroom 3 radiator once I return from holiday so I will get him to take hall radiator off as well. He is going to replace that eventually with a tall modern radiator in different place giving me a better place to put a hall unit with a bench or possibly just a bench with some shoe storage. The cupboard can have coat hooks as well as better storage now there is no need to access the loft from inside the cupboard.

I have more frogs to get on with today so I can do those and keep out of painter's way. Children won't be at mine until after holiday so just need to keep Sox away from the paint. Everywhere is dusty but that will have to wait now. I seem to have spent a silly amount of money this month but it needs to be done. Once weather warms up I can get on outside. I took three boxes of cleaning stuff out from under sink cupboards and sorted through. Moved to new boxes which I already had unused, some stuff binned which I won't use and like put with like. I do at least now know what I have under there. I think some of my teacloths could go (I inherited hundreds from mil but most have gone) - guess I will use them and make a decision whether to wash or bin one at a time.

364 Electrical bits all stripped out and in bag for recycling

365 Plumber booked

366 General rubbish and yet more horrible wallpaper in bag for tip

367 Easter cards delivered

368 April birthday cards written and ready to post before I go away. Only two birthdays and anniversary card which I sent to US weeks ago. We seem to currently be running at 4 weeks for card deliveries between US and here although yesterday I got a postcard from 19 March so perhaps things are improving both ends.

369-371 Cleaning boxes sorted through and various items binned from each one

372 Monthly banking done (ouch)

Florenceem

Morning all.

I hope you all had better nights than I did. I was in lots of pain - got up for painkillers.

Builder J has phoned - he is getting the skirting board before he comes here this morning.

Grandson J has to stay home for a delivery but may be round later.

Message from Ike. - storage boxes are arriving tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good day.

CRANKY40

Good afternoon,

I've been reading along and decluttering but I haven't had much time to post. Ds is in his last few weeks of uni so I've been doing a lot of proof reading as well as being available for lifts to study groups etc. So far this month the dryer broke, one of my teeth snapped and the kitchen mixer tap also broke. Those things required the decluttering of money, sigh. I'm hoping for a cheaper month in April.

Starting last Friday I did a proper kitchen declutter - it took me three days. Most of the cake making related things have gone and I have relocated all food from various cupboards into the pantry which previously held baking supplies, cake tins etc. The few baking bits that I have kept have gone into one small cupboard and I took everything else to the charity shop yesterday after dropping ds off (before I changed my mind).

When I came home I did a small box of books to send off for payment and any that weren't accepted have started a new charity shop bag. The scanned and accepted box went to a parcel locker as soon as they were packed up. By the time I'd dropped things off it was time to go and collect ds again.

Total number of things removed so far this year 460.

Mrs S_D your funny turn sounds a lot like one of my allergic reactions. I hope you don't get any more but if you do it might be worth having a think about what you've eaten or used.

Take care all of you 😊

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi everyone

RL has been busy so I've only managed the regular doorstep recycling at home and taking my soft plastics to the C00p when I go past. I did manage to recycle 4 plastic coat hangers at Sainz last night - I couldn't find the collection box so asked a staff member on my way out and she offered to take them for me but only the Sainz ones!

I'm decluttering emails each day but have a build up of thousands still to tackle 😶

I've got a bag for the CS on the go …

Love to everyone

Deni

x

vulpix

Dolly Rocker, fingers crossed for your dog and car getting better soon.xx

Green hopeful. you are right about the carpet.It will have to go in the loft. I made a decent patch in DD1's new carpet when her house rabbit dug/chewed a big hole!

dND, I think you have a happy cat there. Well done on getting that big job ticked off. I don't do that much you know. I have to have rests all the time and Mr V helps me lifting stuff.I do spend a lot of time working out a plan to make the most efficient use of my and any helps time. I have a tendency to want to flit from job to job. I have to make myself finish something before moving on. I love a list too. I batch cook which saves lots of time, so I can do the things I enjoy.

Nice floor Florenceem.

The front bedroom is finished. I am just having a rest after we put the furniture back and I will then make the beds up. Our visitors come Thursday night.

The bathroom looks massive without 2 beds in there!

Filled 1/2 a jam jar of our bedroom emulsion that was left and binned the can.

Mended a tear in Ds's coat. Taken me months to get round to it. Also sewed up a knitted patchwork blanket for DIL. The remains of the other blanket she hot washed plus some new squares. I have also knitted 3 tank tops for DGS's. There will be books to return to DS. He is determined to improve my mind! We do have some good chats about his recommendations though.

I am still decluttering as I go. I had to stop counting as I got a bit obsessed. Once the visitors have gone, I feel a sort out of linens and clothes kept upstairs coming on.

Vx

GrannyKate

Not done a lot and its already gone 2pm. I ended up going several places this morning. Painter asked for another tin of paint which I was thankfully able to get. I dropped the two bags of stuff off at tip and then went to cancel gym membership. I was paying £68 a month and only using pool occasionally. It was good when we lived nearby and under 5s were free but GCs all aged 11-20 now and we live some way away. Went with DS2 to look at local authority pool very near to where we live now and it seemed nice and monthly membership is a fraction of the private one. Tried to cancel on line and it wouldn't work so drove over there - they said to cancel on line but I said it won't work or let me change password. They gave me some paper to write a short letter which I did there and then. They then said it had already been cancelled after the March payment was made. I said not by me as I only decided yesterday pm. They were adamant it was already cancelled and no payment would be taken tomorrow by Direct Debit. I will see what happens. Thats £90+ per month I've cancelled so far - Martin would be proud.

I need to work up enthusiam for munching frogs.

373 Tip visit to drop things off

374 Gym membership cancelled