Messy house: where do I start?

squishyclaire

Could anyone help me please. I need some help and tips about keeping my house tidy. I am really messy and disorganised and I am constantly losing things in the house. Coupled with this I am a real horder, I have had a low income for years and it has made me keep things in the hope they can be reused, recycled etc and thus save me money. I try to buy b day/ chrimbo presents when on offer throughout the year but this leads to a storage issue.

Now however, it is getting to the point that me and my oh are always falling out about the mess. I am trying to clear out to get stuff to have a car boot but I just find it so hard to get rid of stuff which I think might be useful at some point. Do any of you have any tips, help and advice that you could offer me.

Thank you xxx

Pollybear

You could read this thread :


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=388659

and then the Flylady thread on here

Skint_Catt

Where do you start??

FLYLADY!!!

mary43

I had............and still have to a point, similar problem...............I'm an untidy messy person - wish I could be organised..........I'm always hunting for things ad trouble is when I do have a tidy up and clear out I forget where I've put things once I've found them a new home !!
Takes time to sort things out and I'm at snails pace really but doing one room at a time at the moment . Cleared out one corner of drawers and cupboards and found things I forgot I had. Well, if I'd forgotten they were there I couldn't have needed them so off they go to the charity shops. It's a painful thing..........parting with stuff when you're so used to having it around you but if can be done (says she who keeps putting everything off till tomorrow...........lol)

poppett

Pity you don't live by me, I'd have come round and give you a hand with it! How about satrting on on room at a time (smallest first) and go from there. Sort into cahrity shop piles, rubbish piles and recycling piles and be ruthless with it. As each room gets done it will give you the inspiration to do the rest. Good luck!

Decla

I'd do as Poppett said above but you don't even need to do one room at a time. Start with one drawer or cupboard. Also start with less sentimental areas, it's hard to keep going when you're reading through old letters or looking at photos so save the hard stuff for later when you're feeling more up for it.

For me I began with my underwear drawer (easy as nothing I could sell just stuff for rags), then gradually through the different sections of my wardrobe, then on to other cupboards in my bedroom. And so on. This way I ticked off loads of jobs in a smaller amount of time and could see (and show my OH) that I was progressing with the declutter.

Good luck

rose_sparky

Isn't there a well known saying something along the lines of "if it's not beautiful or useful - ditch it".

(Hadn't better tell my husband that!!)

Pooky

Sometimes you need to be ruthless - it might come in handy at some stage but is it really worth falling out with your OH because you're keeping it "just incase"?

I think I'd go for the easiest thing that's going to make a big impact - i.e. decluttering and cleaning the hall so it's welcoming as you come in - or if you spend a lot of time in the living room look at clearing surfaces, window sills etc, but you have to be strict and keep it up once you've started.

bargainhuntermummy

Hi there, I was exactly the same and then decided enough was enough, for two months now i've been taking on a room per week or part of a room if it is particulary bad and have transformed a lot of the house I used to keep things just in case as we don't have much money but then decided to bag everything up and put on freecycle (not very money saving) however once you have posted something for offer then you can ask for something and i've got rid of my junk and asked for a paper shredder (got one brand new to get rid of old paperwork), plastic boxes & baskets (stored everything away neat and tidy in them), a new chest of drawers (again to tidy them). So I have done ok out of it!! I found freecycle worked best for me as people would come and collect from the house as I was going along so I didn't need to motivate myself anymore to do trips down to the tip of charity shops etc!!

I'm on my last room now and find that now its tidy and decluttered its so much easier to keep nice and peoples comments on how nnice it looks make it even more worth while!! Good luck:T

lumpy_bum

im also like you, living looks like a bomb site at the moment cos its covered in toys, but my areas of the house are the worst i need to be ruthless too

Skint_Catt

I have my ruthless moments, but it soon wears off when I start to look through things. Thats when I know that the same cupboard will need to be done a few more times in ruthless moments!

(She says having not sorted out the junk she bought with her when she moved 7 months ago! :rolleyes:)