Decluttering

Well I don’t need to throw away my coffee percolator because I broke it last night whilst moving things away from the ant invasion. Which is annoying as, even though I rarely drink percolated coffee I do like to have one in the house. I’m rearranging my kitchen. I can’t see what’s in the larder as it’s jam packed so I’m moving things into cupboards. Trouble is I don’t have anywhere to put the stuff I’ve moved out of the cupboards! And when I eventually have my knee done I won’t be able to reach up to the top cupboard shelves but, by then I should have reduced the amount of stuff on them. But what I have moved is now labelled with use by dates. How long after best before dates can baked beans be used? And how do I dispose of them?

There's no stopping me, today.
I've thrown away one bra

Think yourselves lucky. I had about3000 books to get rid of after DH died. I sold a few, gave away a lot to friends and colleagues, took 12 boxes to Oxfam books and the rest to a National Trust bookshop.

I have just been down to the shed of doom. And now an old bicycle is propped against the front wall in the hope it will be taken today by one of our many passers by. It is a busy road.

HelterSkelter1

Fancythat. At least if altogether on a book case in one room they can be boxed up quite quickly when necessary.

i have one big bookcase, 1 small one and 1 small one in attic.

Sorry, four bookcases if you count two long shelves as well

At least they can be contained in a book case.
Or three bookcases and two boxes in the attic

Eeeek!

Fancythat. At least if altogether on a book case in one room they can be boxed up quite quickly when necessary.

I have reduced my books by about half over the last year. And we have an excellent hospice charity book shop in the town so they all went there.
I now am trying to work on the basis that if I get rid of a book and then later down the line want to read it again, I can borrow it from the library which keeps the library busy.

I must attack soon the cupboard with tablecloths and other linens much underused.

Books are a problem

As I said on the other decluttering thread, books were by far my biggest "failure".
I only got rid of 6!

But hey ho.
At least they can be contained in a book case.

Apart from a box of cookery books, I emptied all the bookshelves, something I never ever thought would
happen but I did.
Boxes and boxes full delivered to the Oxfam Book Shop
where even brand new books are realistically priced.
It felt good.
I hope the feeling lasts, I really do.

I managed to cull 3 books not 5 as hoped. But they are hard backs and took up more room.
And I have been through all the remaining books and they can stay for the time being

But the books are his problem, not yours valdali.

If he hasn’t room to store them, he should either

a) make room
b) get rid of some.
c) put them in storage, (but not with you!)

Otherwise you keep holding on to them until he gets a bigger
home, which could be years away.

Surprising how it focuses the mind, when the responsibility for storage comes to the actual owner of said items,

I think there comes a turning point when you look at all the stuff and think... enough. And I have reached that point and now need to keep the momentum going.

I will have a quick cull of books on my bookshelf close by while I have a cup of tea right now. If 5 can join the small pile downstairs they can go to the charity book shop tomorrow.

Cabbie21

Just had a decorator/ friend of my son round to quote for doing my small study. I did a quick tidy up but hid some stuff in another room. Now I have got a few weeks to really sort out what to keep and what to throw out. I have enough stationery to last the next 20 years. It is all useable eg staples, pencils, paper clips, plastic sleeves, but nobody else has any use for them. I can’t bring myself to put perfectly good items in the bin and they are not the sort of thing charity shops want.

Freecycle! its easy to do online - when you know the person
is coming you can have whatever it is, ready?
people will have anything, a student maybe will appreciate
your items.

Who remembers the days when we would pay 20p to put
a postcard in the newsagents window FOR SALE …
with not only our landline number but address! call after 6!

MissAdventure

Have you done a bit each day? .

I can certainly see myself waking around aimlessly with arm fulls of stuff.

I do that, essentially moving stuff from one room to another, “aimless” is key phrase here, or better still, ‘undecided’

I’m reminded of Oprah visiting the modern stylish home of
a young professional family in Copenhagen, asking them
“but where is all your stuff?”
response - we don’t have stuff -
“less stuff more life”

knspol

Doodledog - a lot of what you say rings very true for me and I am often trying to offload things on to my family. I also find it very difficult to part with things that cost a lot and have been carefully looked after for many years even though not used now.
I've been very diligent over the last 4 weeks or so to bin, or set aside for charity, at least one thing every day, I now have a couple of bags ready for the charity shop and several things from the garage have gone directly to the rubbish or recycle bins. I have also given a few things to a local charity for them to give as raffle prizes so they've gone to a 'good home' but I now need to find a home for shelves full of unwanted crockery. The purge continues.

Im feeling the same way, looking at the
wall to wall shelves full of ‘treasures’ china, glass,
objects, never used in a functional way, holding
memories, kept for sentiment.

This very morning Im going to box up as much as I can,
send to Emmaus who come to collect, Homeless charity.

I boxed up much of it months ago then put it all out
again as I wasn’t sure…now I’m ready. I think this is
a key factor, or has been for me, ie there is no point
being ruthless and regretting.

May the Purge be with you, always!

I am worst with timber, the bottom shelf in the garage shelving unit is full of offcuts from various projects.I do use them sometimes, but even rotten fenceposts I find hard to take to the tip - ' they might come in useful'.
I'm happy to take CDs & clothes to charity shop though.

I started decluttering when I retired & kept going for 9 months (putting things on eBay /freecycle/ Vinted). Then we had the builders in renovating about half our rooms, they were really good but have left quite a lot of building things (I've used some eg I tiled the upstairs loo floor with the bathroom excess, & carpeted a small lobby area with the remnant from the dining room). So I was then decorating the "new" rooms & it's taken me ages, I'm just starting on round 2 declutter. Put some things on Vinted & one carrier bag to charity shop yesterday.
Books are a problem as they're mostly my son's & he doesn't have room in his flat.
Very pleased to have a new decluttering thread to compare notes on.

MissAdventure

I admire your staying power.
That's really something, devoting years and keeping going

Thank you.

MissAdventure

I have a hospital appointment coming up (i am afraid to check when it is, because i know its soon)

Bit i need blood tests done before the appointment.
Now i can't find the appointment letter or the blood test form, amd the wait for blood tests is pretty long.

Have you got a letter rack? Just a little one so you can find important letters.

I've got two. They do hold lots of stuff (but no letters 😁)

I admire your staying power.
That's really something, devoting years and keeping going

I am going out less.
Which is a bit sad.
But I really really want to finish it.

Have you done a bit each day?

No. As and when.

Quite often I have other things going on, or even just general tidying that I would do anyway.

Have you done a bit each day? .

I can certainly see myself waking around aimlessly with arm fulls of stuff.