Clutter - How Do You Declutter Your Home?

[cschin4]

How often do you de-clutter your home? Do you give the stuff away, have a yard sale, ebay, etc? I have a hard time deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. I feel like I am being wasteful if I get rid of something is still useful. But, there are only so many things anyone can use at a time. How do you categorize your stuff and know when to get rid of it?

[shelbylovesmelby]

I'm in the same boat as you. I hate to give away somethign that is still useful.

The question is when is the last time you used it???? if you haven't used it in the past year or two & it's not a momento ect it's worth getting rid of.

As I'm going thru my clothes, I've got clothes that are several sizes smaller than I am now but i keep thinking oh... one day I'll fit in them again. But if the day pigs ever fly & I fit in them again they'd be out dated any ways.

My dh is a good declutterer! He just grabs what ever doesn't have a home & tells me to either sort this stuff out or it's getting trashed! When he cleans he doesn't even look @ what he's got, especially paper work! GRRR... so I try to keep on it. Though I come from atleast a 3rd generation of hoarders so I think I do better than what I've seen my grandmother live in ect. Though alot of the extras I've got now are clothes & toys I'm saving to pass down from kid to kid. That's a chore in itself trying to organize it all.

So in the process of going thru my house I'm working on a rummage pile and we will either rummage it off to get a few pennies out of it, freecycle it, or just drop it off @ goodwill down the road.

good luck

[Ima saver]

I did volunteer work at a charity place where everything was donated. I would say we took 99% of the clothes we got, and put them in the dumpster. No one wants old, outdated clothes.

[lrjohnson]

I stopped saving things just in case. We had 4 nice ladles. We don't cook that much. I gave away 2 that I was keeping just in case. It's three years latrer and my 2 ladles are go9nf strong. I did the same with a lot of other items. Once I did one big purge a couple years ago, it felt great. Now I purge as I go along. If I get a nice utensil, I see if there is another utensil I can give away.

I made a clothes hamper for stuff that's a little too small, and I set a date. If it doesn't fit in Septemebr, it's going to Goodwill.

Originally Posted by Ima saver

No one wants old, outdated clothes.

People I know who work at Thrift Stores say they throw out nowhere near 99%. Of course if it's stained or dirty it's tossed, and a Thrift Store should not be where you dump bad clothes. But a lot of clothes come from poeple gettng bigger or smaller, fashionab;e people keeping up with trends, lifestyle changes. I like shopping thrift stores and there's a lot of good stuff. Think of why you aren't wearing the clothes; that might help you decide whether to donate it or trash it.

[Bookie]

Twice a year (July and December) I go through my household. Everything is evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Do I use it?
2. Do I value it?
3. Can I justify storing it?
4. Could I replace it?

Anything that cannot pass all four tests is pulled for disposal. Most of it goes either to the trash or to Goodwill as a deductable donation.

What's interesting is the way possessions tend to move along a continuum of value from one year to the next. This year's must-haves become next year's can-keeps, only to emerge as discards a year or two down the line. As I grow older I find I want and need less. I'm less interested in the burden of having things than I am in the adventure of doing things. I spent too many years amassing stuff. Today, I'm savoring the freedom that comes from letting things go.

[PrincessPerky]

I give it way..
DH sells it..or rather I am working on convincing him to sell it!

IMO the hassle of finding out what is worth money, and to whom, and where, is worse than just getting it out once and for all.

I evaluate evertime I put something away..if it is getting put away unused..we have a problem.

For things that are not used in over a month, I pick a closet everytime the urge strickes and go thru it..reorganizing and evaluating. I am lazy so there are two questions

1. do I use it?
2. do I have a strong sentimental attatchmetn?

Anything I don't use but I wish I used I generally give it three chances, If in three months of trying to use it, I havn't found any time to do so, I ditch it.

added bonus the more I declutter the less I buy..don't want to be tossing it later!

[getforfree]

If I can't use the item the way it's suposse to be used, like old clothes, broken toys, and other stuff, that I can't sell, I try to find a different use for it.

I use old clothes, especcially those that are soft, like t-shirts, for rugs to dust, or I might use it as pads and then throw it away. If I would use pieces of an old t-shirt, and it lasts me for a couple of hours, and I will use one pad less, than I would normally use, it's still better than just giving it away for free.

Does anyone use anything that you don't need for something different than it should be used for, so you don't have to just throw it away or give it away?

I know some appliances have metals, that can be recycled for $$.
Clothes you can use as dusting rugs or pads.
Broken furniture: wood parts can be used in bbq or fireplace.


Does anyone have more ideas?

[Lady Jennelle]

Boy oh boy do I ever need this thread. *lol*

Just have been doing the decluttering thing today [or at least trying to anyways!]

Sometimes I don't have a hard time in getting rid of things at all but it seems with me, the bigger things I have no problem letting go ...

It's just the smaller things [you know - the kind that clutter up your junk drawers 'n things?] ... those, I have a problem getting rid of. Don't know why!??

Mainly besides that I keep craft stuff 'cuz I always end up wishing I would have kept it if I do get rid of it.

I cleaned out 2 closets today and though I did get rid of a few things, there is so much more left to do and I'm sure a good part of it could get tossed if I were to just force myself to do it. *Sigh*

Love,

Jennelle

[Countrygal]

If I havent used something in the past 6 months,then its out the door!

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by Countrygal

If I havent used something in the past 6 months,then its out the door!

That must get expensive buying a new snowblower every year.

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by Lady Jennelle

I cleaned out 2 closets today and though I did get rid of a few things, there is so much more left to do and I'm sure a good part of it could get tossed if I were to just force myself to do it. *Sigh*

Love,

Jennelle

stop beating yourself up, be prouid of what you did do!

[markio26]

if i don't use it , when the season is over it gets replaced and given away... i try to do a room at a time.. son is real bad about getting rid of things.

[sakigt]

I usually give away stuff while Im on a whim. I try not to overthink it (what if I need it in xx months??) and wouldnt you know it...I havent missed a single item.

[Lady Jennelle]

One of my problems is that I hold onto something for so long and don't ever use it.

Then I finally do get rid of it and sure enough ... wouldn't ya know that I find a use for it? *lol*

Still, I know it's impossible to keep everything so I continue to declutter.

Love,

Jennelle

[Cap'n Rob]

You could try moving once every year or so That helped me to get rid of anything I didn't want to pack up and tote to the next location .


We've used the neighborhood tag sale a few years and thats turned those non movers into cash - We found that when we got the whole street into it there was alot more traffic and a good deal more profits.

nothing has value if you dont use it or can't sell it. - I can't be too harsh though as I am an electronics junkie with a pile of stuff that hasn't been useful since 1988 - thats my personal vice.

aside from that one thing - eh ? Consignment shops are a good way to turn stuff into productive cash.

The bad thing there is that with extra pocket money I tend to go and buy more
old electronics

[Lady Jennelle]

That's a good point and yes, I am proud of what I did.

Thanks for the that!

Love,

Jennelle

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

stop beating yourself up, be prouid of what you did do!

[mountainmist]

Originally Posted by getforfree

I know some appliances have metals, that can be recycled for $$.
Clothes you can use as dusting rugs or pads.
Broken furniture: wood parts can be used in bbq or fireplace.


Does anyone have more ideas?

Please be careful, I don't have a link, but I am certain I've read plenty of articles that modern woods processed for either use in the construction area or for making into furniture are NOT SAFE to burn in your fireplace, as they not only are laden with formeldahyde but also have large levels of flame-retardant chemicals -- you do NOT want those kind of particulates circulating in your home from burning in the fireplace, neither would you want to ever eat food cooked with such woods.

[mountainmist]

Originally Posted by getforfree

I know some appliances have metals, that can be recycled for $$.
Clothes you can use as dusting rugs or pads.
Broken furniture: wood parts can be used in bbq or fireplace.


Does anyone have more ideas?

Please be careful, I don't have a link, but I am certain I've read plenty of articles that modern woods processed for either use in the construction area or for making into furniture are NOT SAFE to burn in your fireplace, as they not only are laden with formeldahyde but also have large levels of flame-retardant chemicals -- you do NOT want those kind of particulates circulating in your home from burning in the fireplace, neither would you want to ever eat food cooked with such woods.

[JanH]

I don't know if anyone has posted this (I am behind reading) but my doctor takes stuffed animals to give to sick kids instead of candy. They can pick from the pile and hold onto the animal during the visit. I love it. Unfortunately, getting my DD from parting with said stuffed animals is an ongoing and ssssllllooooowwwww process!

[Staceyy]

Things that are well organized do not appear to be clutter (even if it is). If I have too much of something and am afraid to throw it out as it could be useful, I realize it could also be useful to someone else and dispose of it to them. Anything glass, plastic, aluminum or tin can go into the recycle bin to be recycled for the use of others. The Goodwill or Salvation Army can recycle a lot, friends may be in need of some things I need to dispose of, there is always Freecycle and the trash can.