2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Dizzycap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977484#Comment_81977484

@daisy_1571 - Fabulous post & we seem to be very liked minded regarding retirement age and the process etc. I too retired early and it was the best tning I ever did xxxx

@Brambling - Super point with regards to the time of year to retire. I retired in August on my 55th birthday 😂 a few years ago, and it worked for me. It was the best birthday ever 🎉🎊. However, my uncle retired in October and suffered severe depression though the Winter months because the things he enjoyed and loved doing required being outside; gardening, volunteering etc and in Winter, there was very little to do 😔😫. He must have oraganised and re-orgaised his shed and potting shed at least 20 times over - bless him.

What a day! Usual HH decluttering chores and just hoved aroud the house again before babyface potters off to bed once she's stopped chasing the neighbours cat around and out of the back garden 😂. It's like the Grand Prix with her whirling up and down her ramps whilst telling the cat exactly what she thinks 😂🤣. I managed to do a little more gardening tidying and deheading but decided not to water until early morning. A neighbour kindly dropped in 4 large bare root cuttings of a plant; Dicentra spectablis alba, that I've been after for a lifetime because I wanted the natural specimen which shapes and flowers through the Summer into early Autumn and not the cultivated bare root which flowers in Spring to early Summer, usually the pink bleeding heart; which I already have. Anyway, I soaked the bare roots for 2 hours and then planted them out in my lilly patch; I've kept a space ready & waiting for over 8 years 🤗All watered in with extra mulch TLC by mid morning to get them settled in. I'm certainly not expecting a show this year, but next should be glorious 😍😘.

Babyface has finally decided to come back in after her speedy 'Key Stone Cops' episode. Thank goodness I have garden lights 😂😂. I think she's given herself a soar throat as she's sounding a little squeeky in talking tone, so the Manuka honey will no doubt, be out soon 😂 - She'll ask, I have no doubt - Little Tyke Minx😂🤣. She's now having her last small meal of the day whilst I sit and have a mug of coffee and a couple of toasted teacakes 😅😋. Mr. Swan was ambling about this morning whilst babyface and I sat in the swing chair getting some welcomed early morning sun - Usual relaxed Daxie buttons up 90% stretchout seat hogging 😂🤣- Wouldn't have it any other way xxxxx

Hoping to get a little sleep tonight as I have to declutter 3 appointments tomorrow. 1 for babyface; hoping and prayng test results are all good, 1 for my elderly neighbour; dentist last one, and 1 for me; ongoing 😥😣 late afternoon 😅😮, so I will need to be up early to get oragnised as I will need to water bits of the back garden & pots; usually in my PJ's and have a shower and get dressed before the day really begins. I feel tired just thinking about the watering and showering 😂🤣.

Off to get another mug of coffee before we potter off to bed - No washing tonight 🤗😂🤣. Take care all, love to all, & sweet dreams xxx Tat-ta for now xxxxx

Floss

@Green_hopeful "The strange thing for me is how long it took me to destress. It was about 9 months after i had retired and i suddenly realised i wasnt totally stressed anymore and i felt like a could relax"

I completely agree - I finished just a year ago and would say it took me a good 9 months to destress. Mind you, it didn't take that long to stop thinking & fretting about work!

TC77

Thank you for all the comments and stories about retirement... and I have been following many of your adventures in recent years. I enjoy hearing about what all the declutterai family are doing and Mrs SD is a superstar.

I did want to work part time a few years ago having worked part time since 16 and full time now for over 40 years ( I was 63 early last month) but having worked full time and bringing my kids up on my own it seemed quite selfish to work part time for just me when I wished i'd worked part time when they were small. However I have been telling dds that when I stop working I will be having my 'gap year'. However, abit constrained by little and large cat!

I took up tai chi a year ago which is 3 times a week and done some short courses so know things i'd like to do. Also managed some travel recently and want to do more :)

Invigilating had never occurred to me so interesting to hear about that and othet jobs and volunteering. I will volunteer but taking a few months to decide what I want to do. Some organisations I've done bits of volunteering for before and also if I need/ want it i could do aome part time/ one off projects but will see.

The suggestions for setting specific times for activities including decluttering and treating like a job is a great idea

I will take inspiration from you all. Thank you x

.

Florenceem

Brie - It was the Woman at The Well - verses 4 to 42 - the longest conversation Jesus has with one person and it was with a woman!

I have carried on with my knitting - have to sit for it so won't be burning calories. I am now on the second fingerless glove - a pattern that I used in the 1980s.

My daughter did the whole marathon but had to take it easy as her ankle was hurting. She rolled her ankle a few weeks ago and really shouldn't have run today.

florianatwobob

@Florenceem both I and my neighbour have a key safe down our shared alley at the far end from the road. It’s rare for anyone we don’t know to come down the alley (occasionally delivery drivers or the postie) so we feel quite secure about having it and it does help when it comes to avoiding locking yourself out!

Tomorrow the bath is being enamelled!!

Today has involved emptying the bathroom. It’s amazing how much you can fit in a room that’s no wider than the width of a bath and sink snug against each other and a couple of foot longer than the bath. It did give me opportunity to rummage through the bathroom cupboard and evict some contents I’ve taken the bath panels off and they are reclining on the garden table wrapped in an old shower curtain!

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

Sunday was a dry bright day but not as sunny as it has been. High of 19°C (feeling 3° cooler due to E wind) & a low of 8°C. DH watched the MotoGP races. I carried on knitting the scarf being careful to keep an eye on the pattern 😉 Dinner was roast pork with crackling, roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots with cabbage, green beans & hm gravy 😋 Wudupa

766 - 769 Kitchen recycling, glass bottle, magazine, drinks cans - recycled 

770 Kitchen detritus - binned

Sleep tight 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐 🙏💐💐🌟⭐️❤️💐💐⭐️💐❤️ ⭐️🎖️🥇 

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 770/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

Wednesday2000

I thought about getting one of those key safes too, but I wondered how secure they are and that was what stopped me.

I have three classes this week so I'm going to take a donation bag of clothes one day to drop off. I have ordered a bulky waste collection for next week too.

Floss

I think if keysafes were not secure, they would not be used by Social Services to enable access carers for those folk who can't open the door. Personally I'm considering having one fitted just inside my porch.

Florenceem

Morning all. I had a good night - just one shooting pain. I went back to sleep after the alarm. Mr F always said - if I moaned about getting up late - obviously your body need the extra time in bed.

Floss - inside a porch is a good idea. I will get J the builder to install it.

J the builder told me on Saturday that he would be here on Monday to do the second coat on the back of my house. Yesterday I text to check what time he was arriving to be told - he will do it next week. He said he under priced the house painting and needs to earn £500 this week for his mortgage. My thought is - he has had the other 3 weeks of the month to earn mortgage money. I don't like being let down when I helped him on Friday by giving him work when he had a day of cancellation.

I will go out today as no need to stay at home and I need some shopping.

vulpix

I have a key safe at the back door, the previous owner left no number for it sadly or we would use it.

J's here, with one of his lads. He is in the garden with his mini digger. The lad is putting scaffolding up at the side of the house where the little bathroom window is bricked up.The window will be coming out and stone work made good. He says the front garden will take about 2 weeks. I have decided to go in his queue to get the back garden done next during summer months. The inside can be a winter job. I can hear him trying to get boulders out with a crow bar! All the front and side of the house has a huge "rockery". J says it's all the waste stone from building the house. Over a hundred years of tree roots are in there. A physical job to get it all cleared.

I have made ONE curtain.I knitted half a kids jumper in my efforts to procrastinate. I will try to do the other curtain today. I am traumatised though. Sewing velvet and a duvet together neatly is effort. I remember saying before if I ever say I am making/altering curtains again you must remind me how I hate it. You've let me down.🤣

Mr V has gone to get the French doors.

I am going to start cutting the other curtain and give myself plenty of breaks from it throughout the day.

Vx