2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

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

Thursday continued: I wrote a 4 day menu plan & then the shopping list. DH & DSis left 14:00. It is feeling rather chilly now 🥶 The recycling chaps turned up at 15:30, a huge & welcome surprise especially after a Bank holiday 😊  Fortunately I noticed them arriving as I hadn’t wheeled out my bin last night 😉 DH & DSis have just got home 16:05. Roadworks on the roundabout to get off the Isle of Dogs & then back on again caused serious delays 😞 I eventually put away all the shopping & realised that my cupboards are a mess yet again ☹️ DH brought back chicken burgers & fries from a newly opened fast food place. Tasted better than KFC. Wudupa

805 - 808 Kitchen recycling, 2 cardboard boxes, drinks cans - recycled 

809 Kitchen detritus - binned

Lovely to see you dND 👋 I completely understand where you are coming from - the days just seem to disappear 😞  Fingers crossed that your new pressure washer turns up soon 🤞 I loved your description of being a “Goldilocks Gardener” ☺️ although I do hope that having spent so long working in the garden on Tuesday that you were still able to move on Wednesday 🤞 & get to knit & natter ☺️  I am sure your peanut butter cookies will be well received ☺️Your visit to Aberfan with your friend sounds very moving  🥹 The house insulation/upgrade saga sounds like it is turning into a bit of a nightmare 😱 I do hope it all comes good in the end 🙏 Sorry to hear that April was such an expensive month 😔 Hopefully you can start to rebuild your bank balance in May 🤞 Great photos - I can see how busy you have been 🤩 I love that, despite your ponds not being full of water just yet, you already have a resident newt 🥹 I will keep everything crossed that all the stars align & you can get rid of the honey fungus in short order 🤞🤞

Excellent decluttering TC77 👏 I am sure that you will soon start to notice a difference ☺️

Wonderful cheerleading post Dizzycap ☺️ Pleased to hear that you managed to do what you needed to do in the garden before the rain came 😮‍💨 Fingers crossed that Birty the bully pigeon can be kept away from your new clematis 🤞 I’m with Babyface on staying away from magpies 😉 vicious birds albeit quite attractive. I am very impressed that you have resisted the temptation of the Snickers bar 👏

Excellent decluttering vulpix 👏 I especially liked the bag being decluttered to your DS 😌 Good luck reviving the very poorly plants 🍀 Sounds like the work in the front garden is going really well 🥳

Great decluttering oceanspirit 👏 I had to laugh at the tale of the shoes 😂 They definitely didn’t owe you anything 😉

Excellent decluttering Green_hopeful 👏 What a result finding another drone for your friend’s son 🥳

dND, I like the idea that you will be ‘mooching’ in the archive 🙊

Florenceem, sorry to hear that you had another bad night 🥺 Sounds like you need to have a chat with your doctor.  Good luck with your continuing project to tidy the small RoD & empty the large RoD ready for decorating 🍀 

Florenceem, This “I had a break and got a lolly out of the freezer - a mini one but I can hear my dear dad saying - you need your strong glasses on to see it” had me in stitches 😂 More excellent decluttering 👏 Hopefully you can deliver the 6 bags to the CS & clear your hall soon 🤞 Sending get well soon wishes for your bestie 🥹

Oops just noticed the time 😅 so am off to bed. Sleep tight everyone 😴 

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

DH Awards: 🏅🏅🏅🏅

DSis Awards:

Decluttering Target 2026: 809/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £165.11

Moorviews

Back onto the mission of getting all my current clothes to fit me properly so that I actually wear them. I decided to tackle the jeans and researched various hemming methods. Practised on my gardening jeans, which I usually just cuff. They fill with detritus and I have to empty them before returning indoors. So not practical! I wasn’t entirely successful as one leg is now slightly shorter than the other 😂 never mind, I shall unpick and make the necessary adjustments. I think I know where I went wrong. I need to buy some jeans thread to make the best job of it too. I have at least two other pairs that I eventually want to alter.

Trying on the various jeans with different shoes meant that I emptied out the bottom of the wardrobe. Some very nice high heels are now in the CS bag. I boxed another two pairs away as for some reason I am convinced that I might wear them one day. Plus, they are pretty! All of my wearable summer footwear is now out of boxes and neatly in the wardrobe.

Florenceem - I learn so much from how you go about things in such a practical way. I hope that your bestie is okay xx

Dnd - I too am a Goldilocks gardener 👨‍🌾 It’s a perfect phrase!

Yorkie1 - the executor file is a fantastic idea, thank you 🙏

suzeesu2000 - hugs xx it is a huge transition to make and I understand the sadness 💐

Hope everyone has a good day xx

QueenJess

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986092#Comment_81986092

Was that a bracelet or one of those stretchy bands? I find the stretchy ones that are quite tight and dig in (you have to place them properly) do help. I used to wear them when pregnant as I felt sick 22 hours a day 😱 Couldn't sleep without it on!

vulpix

The front garden is moving fast. J the builder found that the down spout from the 2 semis was only balanced as well as the rain water not going anywhere! The downspout is now fixed to the wall. The water now goes into a proper drain, or will when we get some rain. The foundations are in for the retaining wall along the side of the garden. ( The house is sideways on a hill.) Foundations are in to re site the steps. We can't reuse the handrail as it has been made to fit sunken, uneven steps and the new steps will not be sunken. I don't know if the blacksmith could alter them or if it needs completely new ones making.

Front garden should be finished by next week.

Off on a 30 miles round trip now to the nearest bank for the lads wages. Better be quick before that branch shuts as well. Banks and Post offices are getting to be a scarcity locally.Mr V is out this afternoon helping his mate do a diy thing. Unfortunately I will have to spend time watering my many garden pots. I rarely water them but we have had no rain for ages. I am hoping that a lot of them will be planted in the ground soon.

Mr V put me a shelf up yesterday so I can get my 60's bud vases out of storage. He hates them. I love me a bit of Kitch.😂

Another little jumper sewn up and an adult hat currently on the needles.

Vx

Florenceem

Morning all.

QueenJess - it was a stretchy band.

Yorkie1 - Bestie was 16 hours at the hospital - no kidney stones which is a blessing.

Mrs SD - my bestie says to ask to be referred to the pain clinic when I see the Dr.

I was in pain when I sat down to knit yesterday evening so took painkillers. When it was time for bed - I was in pain again so took different tablets. I had a pain free night.

Not sure if young J is coming here today.

Bestie collected the 7 bags for her charity shop on the way to work.

I plan to work in the large ROD today.

suprisinglynice

Huge (to me) project leaving the house today. A friend has recently lost a parent and had asked me to do a photo montage for her for the wake. It has been hard as I want to do them both justice. I think it looks beautiful, I hope my friend does to 🤞

Decluttering still going on, although I need to do a proper spring clean at some point as I have been under the weather for over a month now, recovery is very slow and frustrating.

Sending kind thoughts to all

Florenceem

vulpix - I have uncovered a 70s vase in the large ROD today. It is blue so could go in the guest bedroom.

suprisinglynice - don't overdo it. Spring cleaning can wait.

Bin men came and took the black sack that was next to my bin - very pleased It does say on the site that all rubbish must be inside the bin. I have already put a bag full of rubbish in the bin they emptied.

Lovely day here.

The wardrobe in the large ROD was where I hung Mr F's shorts. I have put them in my shopping trolley to take to the charity shop.

Young J hasn't turned up.

I was putting the washing out in the garden when it just hit me - that it was all my clothes - sad moment.

I am already filling bag no 2 for my Bestie's charity shop - she only cleared my hall this morning.

I have found more bits for schools - I used to stock up on things like erasers and tissue paper when I was making stuff to sell at my old Church.

Doctor daughter phoned - asked me if I was doing less.

Back garden needs a sweep - lots of leaves on the ground - they don't only drop at Autumn. There is a bird nesting in the holly tree - he/she gets the blame.

QueenJess

Just popping in with my latest list. I did get through the pile of paperwork DD left me to sort through and it's been duly kept in a memory box, filed to use the other side as notes or recycled. Still going through the freezer, but less than 1/3 full now!

7 - freezer supplies used up
3 - kids stuff not needed (Buy Nothing)
1 - bathroom supplies used up
1 - DD clothes grown out of (recycled)
51 - DD paperwork recycled
1 - packaging reused
1 - broken bag (binned)
2 - paperwork reused then recycled
1 - bin not needed (Buy Nothing)

New total 1,224
Use it up total 347

Brie

slow start to the day and then breakfast out. lovely little place that we first went to when it opened 3 years back. The woman who runs it always greets us and remembers what we talked about last time, asks about our holidays etc despite the fact we go there at most 3 times a year. And makes the most wicked looking cakes. We've resisted until today when before leaving we bought 2 slices of her ginger treacle cake, huge slices. We'll be having that later.

and having got home I went to change into something sloppy and ended up tidying the bedroom and going through my clothes. One extra itchy dress, BNT trousers I'll never wear, gym shorts bought when I actually needed a pair of mostly cotton bike shorts for wearing under dresses (much more comfortable) all in to the charity bag. Some sandals considered but I'm trying them out again - last time I took a pair on holiday it was so hot my feet swelled up and I couldn't get them on let alone fasten them! But today they fit. Considered some of the really pretty but also quite short (knee length) summer skirts - they don't fit but I'm not ready to get rid.

Shocking realisation that I have so very many tshirts. Ok I'll admit I live in tshirts. I have all sorts of plain colours. I have ones from holiday destinations and concerts I've attended. I have some with cats on them, including one my OH made me that has a photo of our kitten twins - both long gone so the shirt's 20+ years old and worn once. Maybe 40 all together? I don't dare count them. Including the ones I've never worn.

And another shock when I unearthed my Hawaiian shirts. They are so much fun but need ironing which means they don't get worn much (aka not in the last 8 years at least). But the shock was the one I got from Liberty in London. 100% cotton, big even on big me, big pockets, big blotches of colour, wonderful. Thing is I bought it when we were living in London, in fact I bought 3, one for me, one for the OH and one for my mom. £3 each. In 1986!!! Anyways they are all hung up with the vague hope that the creases will all fall out.

On the negative side I picked up a clothing order which includes some summer dresses and, not so surprisingly, some tshirts. Most will be returned as I need to see something and try it on before I will know if I want it. That's the project for the weekend I think!

Soontobeoap

So proud of myself today. Non stop cleaning tidying and removing stuff from house.

The spare room has 3 beds made up for GDs to stay tomorrow night

Every piece of furniture has been pulled out and hoovered under. Slight mould patch on ceiling that was uncovered when I decluttered everything off top of wardrobe has been cleaned off. Children's book case has been cleaned ,books dusted and the higgledy-piggledy mess of books has been tidied up. Also thinned out a few that have been grown out of.

In our bedroom a complete tidy up, floor that I havnt seen for ages can now be seen. I have cleaned the black around the PVC window frames, dusted ornaments, added new throw to match new chests of drawers and washed all of our bedding.

I need to tidy kitchen diner tomorrow as my shoulder has started to hurt and I don't want that getting really bad again.

Was going to take a large suitcase of stuff left from car boot sale, to a charity shop but couldn't work out how I would get it all there as can't park the car very close. Then it dawned on me that there is a charity furniture shop just up the road so the whole lot has gone there along with a very beautiful mirror that I really have no room for. They were grateful and all of the stuff has now left my house.

Although I am being ruthless I am beginning to realize that we don't have enough storage for all of the stuff we would like to keep! Still so much has left the house in this past week and I am trying very hard not to buy stuff, so not much is coming in. The house is looking so much better. I have craft stuff to go down to craft shed and then I think that might be my next project.

I have made myself complete the stuff that needed doing inside the house first but I am dieing to get outside and do gardening jobs. Apparently next week this lovely weather breaks.☹️. Never mind I can still tidy the sheds. 🙂

So counting the bookcase as 1. =39/74