2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

Elisheba

Wow, MSE has a decluttering thread - I've only just found it! Fantastic! So happy, and will be following with interest 😊.

I'd like to share my story of how decluttering basically changed my life in 2025, if I may?

So I've mainly been on the Debt Free boards on MSE since 2020, when I had my light bulb moment and realised my finances and debt and spending were all a bit of a mess. The next 5 years saw me beaver away at sorting it all out, and although it's not all gone, everything now is in much better order and I've been able to save this year.

As I was 45 in 2025 and still renting, my long term ambition has been to buy and move to a cottage in the countryside in Scotland. I thought I was going to be pushing 50 by the time I could afford it, and I was worried about how long I would have to work to pay for it.

Well, then 2025 happened. I saw somewhere that decluttering made cleaning quicker, and I don't much like cleaning, so I started with a drawer and got rid of some stuff. Then I did a bit of reading, and kept going, and by the end of 2025 I had gotten rid of over half my stuff, maybe even 3/4 of it!

So yes, cleaning is now much quicker and my house looks much better 😁. But here is the absolute delight of the story. Now I had so much less stuff, and had been reading so much and watching YT videos about how we can live with so little and then don't need as much space, that opened my mind to different house buying options.

And now I'm currently in the process of buying a tiny little cottage in the hills in Scotland 😁. It's much smaller than I would have dreamed of buying before, but once I fit a bit of storage it will be all that I need 😊. I can afford it now because it's much cheaper than I'd originally envisaged, and that also means I'll have it paid off by the time I'm 55-60, so I can retire earlier.

And honestly, it is basically all down to decluttering! I love it! I no longer hang onto things I don't need just because I've had them for 20 odd years, or someone gave them to me. It either has a purpose, or looks good where it is. I try not to have duplicates of things. My wardrobe is fairly minimal (this was helped by losing 5 stone last year, and having more to lose - it made it much easier to let go of clothes, and as I'm still losing weight I don't want to buy a lot as it won't last long).

I've still got more to do, especially as the new house is smaller than my current rented property. Things that are fine to have here won't be needed there. So always a work in progress, but I honestly can't rate declutter highly enough. It has literally changed my life 😁😁😁.

greent

Quick update from me:
Declutter 2026 
18 - 21. 4 food items decluttered to DD (3 of which were bought for Xmas and untouched...)
22. Large cardboard box from the Xmas tree recycled (the tree lived in a tree storage bag in the box... now it just lives in the bag!)
23. Smaller cardboard box given to DD - she is decorating her office and needs boxes to pack up her (over 1000) books from in there to be able to move the shelves...
24. 1/2 jar of ras el hanout dumped into food bin and jar recycled (it expired in 2012 and my tastes have changed seemingly long term post-chemo and I no longer like its mix of flavours)
25. 4 items ordered from a company (didn't realise I'd actually ordered them until the conformation came through and they wouldn't let me cancel) before Xmas - return now authorised and packaged up ready to go to PO on Monday 
26 - 28. Hand cream, heel balm and face oil combined in a body butter tub to use on body. Packaging recycled.
29. Book taken to work for the staff room bookshelves 
30. Pack of 'spot dots' to DD
31. Belt to DD
Eta for Sunday-
32 - 35 - 4 more food items decluttered to DD. She and her fiancé are noticing their food bills creeping up, so every little helps them 

Digital Declutter 20026
31. Unsubscribed to a text messaging service (advertising) from somewhere I ordered from - was waiting to return the order before unsubscribing 
32- 500. Sunday - Deleted over 500 emails whilst still in bed this morning

26lb weightloss
-2.5lb (of the 4 put on over Xmas)

Hopefully will make a bit more progress this weekend (but have a crazy amount of washing/ ironing/ cleaning to also get done 😩)

daisy_1571

I'm another with a dehumidifier.  Like dollyrocker I often use it as 2 clothes horses, bedding or a towel across the top, dehumidifier between and underneath and it dries it all so quickly.   We use ours usually in our 'fancy bathroom' as it has plenty space so we try to remember to put toilet lid down otherwise there's a large extra source of open water in the room- no idea if the dehumidifier would 'reach' that far but no point doubling its workload.  Between sooking the water out and the warm air coming off it i think its been a great investment.   We don't particularly notice much extra electricity usage but damp washing will bring the temperature of a room down so its worth it to keep the house drier which equals warmer.    

Grandmanerd definitely think your new laundry system sounds much better for you.  More efficient and leading generally to a nicer lifestyle of always having clothes available to you.

Elisheba  fantastic progress for you in 5 years.  Fingers crossed you get into your dream house shortly and start living your new life 

Dxx

Willowtree222

Amazing story Elisheba.

I am now looking at dehumidifiers.

Decluttered 2 frogs this morning. Took time but feel so much better. Tomorrow the transformation of the office back to a bedroom starts. 

DundeeDoll

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger you asked what music i put on and i said absolute 80s. But this week it'll definitely be Bowie all the way. Still can't believe he's gone :-(

_Dolly_Rocker_

@DundeeDoll - Wow well done on the find! I would LOVE an island. 

@Elisheba - Amazing news on your wee cottage. That is the dream honestly. 

_Dolly_Rocker_

Morning all,

I have a day at home today with no dogs to walk other than my own 2. 

I'm having a little bit of a lazy morning. Walked B&L from 7:50am until 9:20am. Came home fed them and had breakfast so I'm gonna do an hour of housework from 11:30am and after that back out with the dogs. 

Plenty to be getting on with this afternoon so I'll pick a point and make a proper start when I get back later. 

vulpix

Crazycatlady2,great news about your opp date. It will very soon all be a distant memory.  

florenceem. I am convinced auto immune problems are massively affected by stress which you have had a lot of in recent years. I am glad that you have some relief.xx

 Mrs SD, you haven't got time to declutter atm, you are a full time declutteratti cheerleader. I'll nip round and give you a hand. de cluttering not cheerleading. Hahaha. I love a good sort out and a tidy.

 TC, tough love here. Stop buying stuff.  

 LiverpoolAnne, a new kitchen and soon, it will be worth all the upheaval.

 Elisheba, you are a decluttering poster girl, well done.

Mr V tried to drop a bag of donations at the charity shop again. He has been thwarted this week by temporary traffic lights and today by another shop having a delivery and houses next to the chazzer owning and parking 2 massive transit vans. It can be a mission for next week.

 Yesterday I washed all the throws in the house. There are loads to try to keep dirty paws off the furniture and beds.I don't have a tumble drier. Plenty of space at this house so I just have an airer in the dining room next to a radiator. Works for me.

It's a lovely day here. We usually cop for snow here when other places don't. This time we got of lightly. Hope people with snow are not too inconvenienced.

Laters Vx

2Scratters

@oceanspirit like how you see yourself as a by product of being warm when drying the washing. I think I'll give that a go 

@Elisheba welcome to this thread. Wow what a story! physical decluttering and part of yourself too. I'm sure you "feel lighter" with less stuff too. Congratulations on being able to get your dream home and be in a healthier financial place too. 

I am in the process of ramping up to get stuff out this year, I have got it all in the loft out of the way.( No space downstairs as we are in a bungalow and now down to a 1 bed as the kitchen internal extension is under way - very slowly though.) it is very organised. DH has treated my to a new electric oil heater and extension lead for a bit of heat up there for me to work in. In summer its very the opposite. I'll pursued him to get me a new pole for the vel@x window to be able to get that open and breath. I am going to treat this as my timed work/job  recycling some pennies. 

Have a good weekend all


2 Scratters xx

canvascamper

Very little decluttering achieved since Wednesday.

We need to move all the bedroom furniture and 'stuff' back but everything looks so clean and tidy without it that I don't want to. Can't keep everything in the back room though! 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend ☺️