Pre Xmas De-cluttering Pledge support requested

what a brilliant idea! I shall put a bag in the corner of my bedroom and every evening put one item into it. Have far too much stuff,but can never have too many books in my opinion.

Yes, great idea. Thanks Newnanny; I am going to join in. It's 70 days until Christmas and I am feeling very motivated, so I'm starting right now!

Perfect time for a reminder to get moving with my sorting new nanny.

Just the dig in the ribs I require. Have binned a gigantic nearly full roll of caterer's cling film. Been in the drawer years and has resisted countless attempts to find the end, or is that beginning ? of it.There! gone!

I started this earlier this year after adopting the Marie Kondo method, can thoroughly recommend it, house now sorted!

Have just recycled about 80 jam jars and several hundred corks, which I thought I was going to make into a hand crafted pin board one day (deluded). So that's the pantry done. Now making a plan for the shed, eyeing all those old plant pots, unpublished novels and stories, magazines and electrical bits.
Do try and recycle as you go along.

I'm willing to give it a try, as I really NEED to do this. Another life-long Hoarder, I have far too much "stuff"! Our house is up for sale, and I have a garage full of things from my "old" house when we moved her five years ago (in my defence, it was a much larger house!). To be perfectly honest - I find it really hard to throw things away, although I do regularly give clothes no longer worn to Charity shops.

I’ve been decluttering gradually over the last few weeks and today have spent 4 hours going through files and shredding non essential paperwork. It just goes on and on. A lot of it was my late DH’s, so hard to part with especially anything with his writing on and his architectural drawings. But it’s done. I’ve managed to get rid of a shelf full of books, a CD player, a calculator which have joined 2 bags of clothes ready for the charity shop. If I buy a new item of clothing, I get rid of a similar item. This seems to work quite well. A straight swap! We all seem to have far too much stuff. I have boxes of my parents memorabilia and family archives which have recently been added to with more boxes from my late Aunts house. The garage awaits......?

Me too. Had enough of looking at stuff that I’m never gonna wear or read again.

I love taking things to charity shops at this time of year, especially books, kids clothes and toys. There are people who'll really appreciate them.

I’m an inveterate chucked-outer. But has happened, ooh will wear those nice shoes I bought a while ago...but then realise they went to recycling a while ago. ?

Also, wondering how much stuff can charity shops cope with? Do people take only good quality items there? Do any of us actually buy from them? I do, but only occasionally. Although I shop only occasionally!

newnanny
I’m with you too....
I’m off on holiday on Friday until 28th so I’ll either throw something away everyday. Or accumulate and throw 10 things away when I return.
For Lent this year I did the same - an item a day then I gave everything to charity.

Brilliant idea! Have always taken old/unwanted clothes to charity shops but having a goal like this will help me declutter the whole house. Thank you.
Ps not sure if you knew ( haven't had a chance to read all the replies to this post) but some charity shops take old clothes that are too worn to sell & scraps of cloth or rags. They sell them in bulk for shredding. Just ensure everything is clean.

I started doing something similar a couple of years back, after having spent a wearying few days clearing the house of a deceased relative. This thread has reminded me I must start again and set up a couple of bags - one for charity shops, one for the bin or the tip. I already try to do a one-in-one-out when buy something new, but there's too much "in" to start with. First task will be to sort out a ridiculous cupboard full of cardboard boxes, jiffy bags and bubble wrap.
Something I intend to try is Facebook marketplace, where you can sell locally with no fees, and also give stuff away. Maybe someone wants a pile of jiffy bags.....

When my boys were wee, in the month before the festive season, they were encouraged to go through the toy boxes. Anything that had not been played with over the year and was in good condition was washed, bagged up and we would all go to donate them to the children's hospital. My boys are now parents and they too have initiated this with the grand kids.

Hi there
I split with My husband over 3 years ago and sold the family hone.We hired a skip and had to be ruthless while barely speaking to one another .I have met an amazing new Partner and will be moving in with him.
.no doubt more bits and pieces to the Charity shop.In fact most of My furniture will stay there.
Nothing like a split to get things sorted

This morning I have donated to my pile, a few pairs of husbands trousers, hanging at the back if his wardrobe in dry cleaner bags, he will never miss them, and a Laura Ashley fruit bowl I have never liked.

On the downside, yesterday I bought a dozen glass Christmassy dishes.

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Yes indeed billericaylady I always tell myself I could do it if I really had to. Don't start a new collection though....

When we were having work done on the house, many moons ago, we hired a skip but back then I was loath to eject things which might come in useful. They haven't and when you have 3 copies of the same book, surely it's time to get rid.

Good luck to all you declutterers. All power to your elbows.
I parted with my small charity bag this morning so that's a start. (halo shines)

I help in a local charity shop, (all the money stays in our village). Yes we want your stuff! What you call tatt someone else thinks is lovely. I am amazed at what people will buy. There is a list of things that most charities won't take: duvets/pillows, safety equipment - so no bike helmets etc. some won't take pushchairs, we do but check the brakes and obvious wear and tear, electrical equipment as it all has to be tested which is usually more than the item is worth, ask about this as some charities have someone that does it for them. Most shops also take clothing/ bedding/towels etc that has seen better days to sell for recycling. We can also sell shoes/handbags/soft toys without the ce. mark for recycling. Some of the larger charities can take old books for pulping as well. Hopes this helps with your clear outs.

Brilliant idea. We obviously decluttered 11 years ago when we moved abroad but if anything happened to us the children would have a lot sot sort out or throw out. The biggest problem is that they don't have charity shops here or many online things like Gumtree etc. There is a lovely English lady who sells things to raise money for charity from barns on her property but it's a 60 mile round trip to take things to her so will have to be a car full to go.

Ninarosa ohh I could have just done with your roll of clingfilm.

Its very handy if your decorating (Ive just done dds bathroom and covered sink/toilet cistern,windowsill in clingfilm, to keep paint splashes off.

Ohh this thread reminds me of late dh, he used to take things to the local tip BUT COME BACK WITH OTHER PEOPLES STUFF lol.

I am my mum's caregiver, and she recently made a new will. I will inherit her house and everything in it except a few things to relatives. Since I am at her home daily I look around to see what she would let me donate, but dad died 4 years ago. She is unwilling to let me sort out her things. I look at my home and am overwhelmed thinking of the two homes stuff as my responsibility. For the last few months I've been decluttering my stuff, and I have only DH to contend with here. This is a useful thread, and I've loved the suggestions. I have decided that Mum's devotional books library will go to the church. Some of her pots and pans would be useful in their kitchen as well. We must keep trying.

@Jillybird I have made sure I have everything I think I may ever need again if I were to tutor for example on my memory stick which I have a back up one too. No excuse not to get rid of paper copies {smile].