30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

Come and join us, Rosie! I’ve been busy for the past few days and am out tomorrow, so won’t get anything done then either, but I’m back in the harness on Sunday.

I maybe shouldn't be posting as I'm a "not fully committed" poster but I lurk and take inspiration from you all......and I have made some progress

Doodledog

Does anyone know if opticians or GP surgeries will take empty spectacle cases? I donated lots of old glasses to my GP surgery a while back but for some reason not the cases, and I have found seven of them. I know they send the glasses to Africa or somewhere, so do you think they would take the cases too?

To my utter disgust I've not found a single outlet for old spectacle cases. Sorry, but I held my nose and put most in the landfill bin. DH rescued those with any metal in for metal recycling. It shouldn't be this hard!

I’m glad you’ve made progress, Norah .

MayBee70

I went to a print shop today to get some printing done and they take old printer cartridges for recycling. So that’s something else I can get rid of.

It’s worth doing that. I bought a HP printer cartridge in Tesco this morning, it was cheaper than usual - because they had refilled an old HP printer cartridge of the same type, which I thought was an excellent idea.

Does anyone know if opticians or GP surgeries will take empty spectacle cases? I donated lots of old glasses to my GP surgery a while back but for some reason not the cases, and I have found seven of them. I know they send the glasses to Africa or somewhere, so do you think they would take the cases too?

I went to a print shop today to get some printing done and they take old printer cartridges for recycling. So that’s something else I can get rid of.

Guesswhat, Thank you for this thread. I was motivated and we down-sized much unused/ unwanted clutter.

Thank you to whoever mentioned that Dunelm will take bedding, household linen and duvets for recycling.
We managed to offload two duvets, a nice but unused blanket and bedding plus tablecloths today.

Unfortunately we went into the shop and bought more stuff (stuff we needed!).

Thank you.

I’m glad so many of us are making progress.

I agree Doodledog . Guesswhat has been an inspiration and a kick in the proverbial.

Today I took my car to the tip loaded with garden prunings.
My house deeds , which I have been searching for for years, turned up in the post. I had given up and ordered new ones.

Thanks for the reminder to check pockets and handbags
.
Someone is coming to buy the clay mixer tomorrow.
And so it goes on

I like your style, Guesswhat

You haven't failed - you have succeeded not only in doing whatever you got done, but in motivating the rest of us so you are a winner.

Day 30!!! - I think. Congratulations to all who have completed the challenge .

Um, I’ve failed big time.

My excuse is that I’ve had a lot of commitments . . . So, as I mentioned a couple of days back, I rename all this as the 60 day method!

On top of that, we’re allowed two days off per week. So the next 30 days will turn out to be six whole weeks.

Carry on.

Norah

Doodledog Good luck with the china collection Norah. I think the wedding plans sound lovely.

It will be a lovely party, I'm wonderful with parties, if I do say so.

We gave 24 place sets of china, unused for years, to charity on beginning this challenge. We've bought it back, plus 2 more sets of 8. I now understand how easy it'll be to find 40 more place sets.

We gave 24 place sets of china, unused for years, to charity on beginning this challenge. We've bought it back

That was lucky!

Isn't it always the case, though, as soon as you get rid of it you need it again 😁

I didn't dare look at the china in the charity shop in case I bought some. However, they did have yarn 🤔 and it seemed a shame to leave it there.

We bought old crockery for "one use" at Charity Shop

Dropped things at the school. I think we're neutral, today.

well done everyone! I have taken five more bags for life bags full of books to our hospice book shop, so that is 8 so far. As summer is getting nearer and wardrobes change, I plan on getting rid of what I didn't wear last summer. Norah, congratulations on your DD's engagement, your party sounds lovely. A friend did similar for a party, bought beautiful china in charity shops for little more than it would cost to buy paper or plastic plates, bought crystal glasses too and cutlery. Same charity shops will have lovely table cloths and linen too.

MerylStreep. I’ve found much worse in handbags & pockets, whilst sorting donations! 😳

Why don’t people look through the handbags they donate.
I found a £20 note in one this morning.

Doodledog Good luck with the china collection Norah. I think the wedding plans sound lovely.

It will be a lovely party, I'm wonderful with parties, if I do say so.

We gave 24 place sets of china, unused for years, to charity on beginning this challenge. We've bought it back, plus 2 more sets of 8. I now understand how easy it'll be to find 40 more place sets.

TV guy has been out. I now know which tv’s are to go to the tip. It’s not much but I’ve had tvs all over the place waiting to be connected or thrown out. I’ll still be scared to throw out any remote controls in case I throw out the wrong one!

I will certainly continue after the 30 day target, so please let’s keep this thread going. There are photos that need to be updated with more recent ones of the children & grandchildren, so this task will be included. The old photos will sit behind the new ones and frames I no longer like will go to the charity shop. I’m hoping that my purge will encourage my OH to dispose of his old stuff, but I won’t hold my breath! 🙄

The local charity shop did take books this time, as long as they were fiction.
So two bagsful went there as well as clothes, kitchenware, mugs etc.

I tried to give visiting DD some unused handbags and totes all good makes. She was keen at first , tried them and they all either slipped off her shoulder or the totes straps would not go up her arm. We realised why I had never used them. So no guilt in de-cluttering them.
She is going to take my sewing machine unused in quite a few years and GD has told me which toys are too young for her, also children's cutlery and dishes. So a sort-out that has proved productive without too much hassle.
I still have quilts to sort and I now know how many spare pillows I need to keep and to get rid of.
I'm glad they came. As well as enjoying their company it has helped me focus.

5 bags donated to the SA bin. I had to be quick, so I would not change my mind. Some nice lands end tunics in there, unworn but size 20 or XL and I am now medium

I have been tempred by LE in the past, their perpetual offers but I enrolled to a couple of regular saver schemes at 5+% interest. They finish at christmas and I am stretched as I need to start replenishing my depleted savings due to latest house move. I have spent very little since I started and they were mindful, needed spends. I hope the tempted part of my brain is now nicely encapsulated for the long term

I have hobby and food stash aplenty, ploughing through slowly

I am not going to stop at 30 days, having access to this thread is an inspiration but my de-cluttering has been on -going since the major start in 2006 when suddenly the family home of 32 years was sold. I have moved three times since then and gone from two people to one and bit by bit it continues.

I am going to make a definite start on my wardrobe later today, that is difficult because my clothes are hand made and well made (me) but several are too big now, or the colour is wrong for my skin or I don`t feel good in the style or they were toiles. I will need the three piles for sure and cannot promise to be decisive but finding the salvation army clothes bank was a blessing and will make the process mentally easier

The waffle cotton bedspread, I could not do it, it is nice, I washed it again and it is softer. Either I use it this summer, if hot or I make a dressing gown. Back in my airing cupboard