2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

BlueJ94

Good afternoon!

Sorry not been around much life is just busy, ive also been swimming! Im off work Saturday until Wednesday and I cant wait! I plan on starting my crocheting again

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116187#Comment_82116187

Originally there was a matching salt grinder but metal grinder in that died fairly quickly and we've had the Lidl disposables instead (bad of us but handy). Ours might have been C&M, I suspect we bought them when we moved into our first house in 2002.

Thanks for the 🏅 Mrs S_D

And I'm definitely on a declutter role….and despite having a cold too!! (currently slowly decluttering that).

Anyhoo - we bought our current place in 2018 and about a year later the pull cord on the upstairs toilet light snapped and no matter how hard we tried we couldn't repair it. OH bought one of those battery operated lights that has a sticky back tape so you can put it on the wall. Didn't work well - light was fine, but the tape wasn't sticky enough. So he used big chunks of blue tack to stick it back up. This worked for a while but it kept dropping to the floor so ended up on the marble topped cabinet that sits between the loo and the sink - easy to reach from anywhere.

Time passed and the light grew dimmer and dimmer. And the chunks of blue tack that couldn't keep it in place were impossible to remove from the wall. And the light was now solidly attached to the marble top with the demon blue tack!!!

3 years on we were having our kitchen redone and thus had an electrician on site and I asked if he could replace the proper ceiling light for us - which he did. So roll on another 2.5 years and this morning I have finally got the blue tack off the wall and the light off the marble top!!! I have been meaning to attack this for a long time, such good intentions, and had nabbed the smaller windscreen icescraper from the car thinking that the flat plastic surface could handle the task without causing too much damage. And I was right!!! Hurrah. Only took 5+ years!

Icescraper is now by the key rack for the next time I go to the car to rejoin it's big brother. Why the need for 2 icescrapers? Well I could just say because I'm Canadian and know you should always carry a spare. And have been pondering why my OH never commented on an icescraper being in the sink side cabinet for a couple of years. I'll give OH one chance to save the light from the bin, I've already taken the batteries out of it so likely he'll think it's broken. (batteries needed for my blood pressure monitor and I keep forgetting to buy new ones.)

Siebrie

The loud discussion seems to have done some tricks:

• the built-in fridge had been freezing, because the door wasn't closing properly anymore. I couldn't get the screws out and lift it out, because I have arthritis in my thumbs. It only took 4 weeks for husband to actually help. We took everything out, then all the shelves, and then took it off the cabinet door and removed the fridge door, then took the fridge out of its place. Everything was filthy! Husband and dds put things back willy-nilly, often opened, and it all leeks and sticks. I clean the inside of the fridge twice a year, and the occasional shelf if it's too gross. It's good that he has seen it. We've cleaned it all and put it all back together. The door is slightly dripping, so is only just closing now, but at least it's not freezing the contents anymore.
• he has agreed that from next month on he will lower his pocket money from €450/month to €250/month. We will see; the agreement was that he would already have done that last month. I objected to €450/month from the start; we don't have a budget for that! At least, not if he still insists on paying snacks (he likes cuts of Celtic lamb for snack…), clothes, parking, etc from the joint account.

My list of frogs has diminished:

• made our dentist appointments
• planned the digital meter placement. I don't want to have a digital meter for gas and electricity, but the government is now handing out fines….
• called dd2's school to discuss the school invoices; apparently, they had been reminding me about money they owe me? Repeated calculations by me didn't give me any clarity, so I've decided to let them live in their delusion and pay me :)
• called the gynaecologist for a renewal of my HRT prescription. I tried to live without for a month and my symptoms are gradually getting worse, especially woolly head and 'oooh shiny' destraction! I need my head clear for the coming months!
• I have found an official spouse and child alimony calculation template, and have been gradually filling it in.

Deb4

Hello everyone, hug to everyone who needs them.

It's very wet here today, I went to a meeting and as I got out of the car the rain just got very heavy and I got very wet.

Had some buy an item of ebay and then 3 minutes later cancelled it very frustrating.

I have sorted some paperwork from work that is no longer needed, it felt very satisfying just to put in the recycling

At the moment I am founding things very hardwork, not sure why, I do want to sort things out and do things but I don't seem to have any motivation, I think right I need to this then I will do something else but it doesn't happen.

Take care everyone

Brie

@Deb4 - sounds like you need to hug yourself as well!

regnbue

Hi everybody

I have been a lazy so and so the last couple of months. Blamed it on everything from heatwaves to super busy at work.

Found a youtube channel "How long does it actually take" for me, the great procrastinator, and actually managed to eat some frogs yesterday:

Removed more algae off fences and gate

Stained fences and gate

Unblocked bathroom sink

Returned library book

Collected parcel from lockers

Emailed friend (8 month frog)

Seam on summer skirt sewn up

Dyed hair

Cut hair

Today I posted my friend's birthday card.

When I got back home I finally rang my pension company over actions they had still not taken (3 month frog). They offered me compensation which I hadn't asked for and hadn't expected but I accepted and hopefully that matter is now closed.

Feel good that so much got done and of course in the end none of it took an overly great amount of time. I need to do things in a more timely manner from now on - I always have a long to do list😉

dND

Thank you @vulpix, slicing and freezing immediately is the only way I can make the cake last for more than a few hours. 🤣

@suzeesu2000 The original base recipe was an old NT lemon courgette cake that someone had in a post on the Internet - sadly no longer on the NT site. The changes I made were led by the Jamaican Ginger recipes I also found on the Internet and guessed at quantities. I'll try and write it up over the next day or so and post a screenshot.

@Brie I was given a pepper grinder when I left my industrial year in CERN back in 1975. It's still going strong - emblazoned with Swiss flag and chalet. 😁 The actual grinding mechanism is Peugeot, (yes the car maker but they do other stuff too), and I believe that it's one of the best mechanisms. The name is impressed on the bottom of the grinding mechanism.

@Moorviews This year, being left dangling by the grants people, I've had some time to concentrate on the garden and spend time actually looking at it. Lots hasn't thrived/survived the hot weather but some things have done well. I didn't want to plant things while it was that hot because it would have been difficult to keep them watered so a lot of pots have ended up in the shade by the back door where I could throw waste kitchen water at them and will go into the ground in the next few weeks. I think we're all going to have to spend a lot of time over the next few years rejigging our gardens to cope with the new weather.

@Wednesday2000 I too think your friend should join the thread. Other people chucking your stuff doesn't help you figure out why you accumulate or what you actually need rather than want. In my experience getting rid of stuff that other people say you should, leaves you feeling powerless and as though something has been taken from you by force and you therefore want to replace it.

As expected, apart from the knitting group and shopping very little else has been done today. I'm definitely a work in the morning person. Bills from electrician and heating engineer have been paid and I'm wondering how the next few days will pan out weatherwise. There's been a little rain but my waterbutt is still only half full, (better than it being half empty though 🤣). I have another Oct0pus power down hour about to start so will be finding something to so that doesn't require light or power. I think I've already qualified for another free hour of electricity this weekend but it's belt and braces time!

Hugs to those who would like one and love to you all. Dxx

florianatwobob

The man has been to discuss the loft conversion. It looks like we’re going to get 2 good sized double rooms and, rather then have a pointless space that would just be empty, it handily aligns nicely with a standard size shower tray and the second worlds smallest toilet. It’s also above the existing plumbing and right by the waste pipe!! The cupboard over the stairs can be sacrificed to the new staircase gods and apart from that a door needs to be moved back 6 inches which still brings the door in line with the existing wall.

Considering the house is fast approaching 100 and mid terrace that feels like a fairly painless loft conversion.

Thunder, lightning and biblical rain have arrived here. I think Noah has been seen running some sea trials of his ark.

dND

@suzeesu2000 recipe as requested.

Please excuse any spelling errors, I've never been able to spell well.

I slice and freeze the cake, not only to stop me wolfing it down but because it contains courgette which makes it moist it can go mouldy easily at room temperature after a few days.

Yorkie1

Very tasty!