2019 Decluttering Thread

[disneysteve]

I did some work in the basement tonight. First, I brought up a number of items we decided to give away last time we worked down there. For some reason, I hadn't done that. They are now lined up in the garage with everything else that has to go to Goodwill.

Then I went shelf by shelf through the other main storage closet down there. Most of that is things we actually want/need like our holiday china, flatware, serving pieces, etc. But there were still a number of items that I pulled out to ask DW about. Once I had them all out, she came down and took a look. There were a couple of things she still wanted to keep but a bunch that she was fine with getting rid of. There are also a number of things that DD made as craft projects in school when she was little for the holidays. DW will talk to her about that stuff and we'll get rid of anything she isn't attached to (which will probably be everything as DD isn't sentimental that way). So quite a few more things got added to a box down there that I've been filling for Goodwill.

[disneysteve]

We did the Kon-Mari thing in the kitchen today with our pantry closet and cabinets where we store everything but snack foods. We emptied out everything and cleaned the shelves. Then we went through stuff item by item. We threw out a number of things that were way, way, way past date. We eliminated items that we just never use. We organized some related items into small boxes that are now clearly labeled and more easily accessed. We took out a few things that just don't belong where they were.

Then we put everything back. Most things stayed exactly or pretty much where they were. A few things got re-positioned so that infrequently used items are on the top shelf or at the back of a shelf while frequently used items are front and center. We moved around a couple of shelf organizers in an attempt to make better use of them.

I'm sure the way it all ended up won't be the final version but it's much better than the way it was. Pretty much everything is now positioned and labeled so that it is easier to see and access and the shelves aren't stuffed full of things that will get lost.

[disneysteve]

I've been anxious to work in the garage, but it's the middle of winter. We had an unseasonably mild day today in the low 50s so I spent a little over an hour in there. I would have done more but we're going out tonight so I had to stop.

Anyway, my general plan of attack was to start at the front and work my way back. I finished filling a 30-gallon trash bag and got that out. I partially filled another bag. I threw out a 13x19" crate of stuff, crate and all. I lined up a bunch of stuff for Goodwill. I'll see if I can make a trip over there this weekend. It wasn't a huge accomplishment but definitely made a dent, and it was only about an hour of work.

DW and I are planning to address the pantry and food cabinets this weekend. We're going to do it the Marie Kondo way and totally empty them out onto the tables and counter and go through everything item by item. I know there's stuff in there that needs to go. We've also talked about buying some better storage containers to help keep things more organized when everything goes back in.

[disneysteve]

Not too much to report as I worked the last 4 days but a couple of things. My wife has continued working on the photo albums. She has an impressive pile to discard. I can't wait until she's done and I can take a picture of everything she's gotten rid of.

Tomorrow is trash day so I took a couple of minutes to break down the boxes from our new computer and new tv. I held onto them for a few weeks just in case there were any problems with either item but both are working fine so it was time for the boxes to go. In the past, I used to hold onto boxes forever. The last time I was in the attic I discovered several boxes from items we no longer have. That's on my list of things to address when the weather is nicer (along with the garage - can't wait to get in there).

[disneysteve]

I did a little in the basement tonight. I found a bag with 87 more pens that will be donated to the same place as the ones we gave away the other day.

A few items went into the recycling bin and some into the trash. There were also several larger items (old window shades, curtain rods, etc.) that need to go out into the trash bin but I didn't feel like doing that tonight. I have them all gathered and ready to go though. I don't even remember why we had the window shades. They were labeled as being from DD's room, but she has shades so obviously we replaced them at some point. Out they go.

That's actually been a recurring theme as we declutter - none of us remember why we even have something. If nobody remembers where it came from, who gave it to us, where we got it, or why we got it, clearly none of us are attached to it and won't miss it when it's gone.

[disneysteve]

I mentioned a while ago that I was donating a couple hundred pens but I never actually did it. Today I had my wife take them over to the Jewish federation where she volunteers. They said they can definitely use them. So they’re out of the house finally.

[jenn_jenn]

Hey Steve when I was on my decluttering kick this fall in the garage I gave away some kids bubbles. We're in NE Ohio and DH was asking me where's the bubbles, oops. He wanted to go outside and blow some and watch them freeze with this cold weather we're having. It's times like these that it irks me that I got rid of something small. Yes I know we can go to the $ store and buy another bottle, but this opportunity will have passed. This always seems to happen to me.

But I just said to DH, 'Oh I don't know I thought I saw them out on the garage shelf.

edit, he did make some with dishwashing liquid but needed the wand to blow. Just didn't work right on a spoon.lol

I laughed because this kind of thing always seems to happen to me too.

I still declutter knowing these situations will come up. I’d rather have less clutter than try to anticipate all these little moments.

Alternatively, you created a moment of blowing dishwasher soap off a spoon. Maybe not as successful but I’m sure there’s a moment and memory in trying.

[disneysteve]

Hey Steve when I was on my decluttering kick this fall in the garage I gave away some kids bubbles. We're in NE Ohio and DH was asking me where's the bubbles, oops. He wanted to go outside and blow some and watch them freeze with this cold weather we're having. It's times like these that it irks me that I got rid of something small. Yes I know we can go to the $ store and buy another bottle, but this opportunity will have passed. This always seems to happen to me.

But I just said to DH, 'Oh I don't know I thought I saw them out on the garage shelf.

edit, he did make some with dishwashing liquid but needed the wand to blow. Just didn't work right on a spoon.lol

You can easily do homemade bubbles. And any kind of loop will work. Do you have any wire or bend a paper clip or twist ties or something like that.

[Thrif-t]

Hey Steve when I was on my decluttering kick this fall in the garage I gave away some kids bubbles. We're in NE Ohio and DH was asking me where's the bubbles, oops. He wanted to go outside and blow some and watch them freeze with this cold weather we're having. It's times like these that it irks me that I got rid of something small. Yes I know we can go to the $ store and buy another bottle, but this opportunity will have passed. This always seems to happen to me.

But I just said to DH, 'Oh I don't know I thought I saw them out on the garage shelf.

edit, he did make some with dishwashing liquid but needed the wand to blow. Just didn't work right on a spoon.lol

[disneysteve]

DW worked on the floor of our hall closet today. Stored there are batteries, winter gear (hats, gloves, scarves, etc.), some board games, blankets, and assorted other items. By the time she was done, she had gotten rid of a broken umbrella, an old camera and camera bag, 4 blankets, multiple hats, several unmatched gloves, 2 board games, some craft supplies, and more. She used the plastic bins that were already there to neatly organize the winter items we were keeping, labeling one container for each of us. And with everything else cleared out, we can now clearly see and access those bins. And we have a garbage filled for Goodwill.

[disneysteve]

1) photographs

Here's my advice for photographs. My wife has been working on ours in recent weeks.

1. Toss any photos that just didn't come out well. Blurry, too dark, too light, eyes closed, etc.
2. Toss photos of places and things with no people in them. It's great that you took the kids to the zoo 20 years ago but do you really need a stack of photos of the tigers and monkeys and elephants? Save a couple just to round out the people pictures from the visit but toss the rest.
3. Toss multiple similar photos of the same event or activity. Pick out one or two that are the best and save those. I guarantee if you look at pictures from a kid's birthday party, for example, there are 4 or 5 of them in front of the cake and blowing out the candles. Keep one, trash the rest. The same for sports pictures. If your kid played some sport, or sang in choir, or was in the band, you probably have dozens (or hundreds) of photos. Pick out a few that came out particularly good and eliminate the rest. You don't need 25 pictures from the 8th grade winter concert. One or two will suffice.

My wife isn't done working on ours but when she is, I'll post a pic of the stack of photos she has eliminated. It's not in front of me right now but I'd guess it's at least 6 inches high so far. And she had already done a previous round of this a few months ago where another large stack was trashed.

[Thrif-t]

I hear ya, scfr on the photos! Man I've got about 3, 18 gal bins in my basement of pictures!! And they're mostly of my kids so I don't feel I can throw them away. But when you have 3 kids x 4 sports each that's a lot of yearly sports team photos.

I never wanted to buy all those and would never fill out the paperwork to get them, but my dang DH always would, now I'm left with all this in my basement, ugh.

[scfr]

Just a quick general update since I have only 1-1/2 days before we head out to our new home. We've already loaded a lot in to the moving truck, and it looks like when we are done our 16' truck will be about 75-80% full. We briefly considered going for a 12' truck and getting even more aggressive about purging/downsizing, but ended up cutting ourselves some slack with the 16'. This is for 2 adults in their mid-50's, 1 dog, and 1 business. In our car we'll load our "on the road" suitcases, the dog's on the road gear, 1 tote of vital documents that we'll bring in to the hotel room each night, and a few cleaning supplies to give the new place a quick freshening up before we start unloading. We're far from super minimalists like those vagabonds who can load all of their possessions into an Outback, but I think we did pretty good. There are still 2 problem areas that I need to address: 1) photographs, and 2) retirement plan papers. Both of those areas need further purging and a much better system for dealing with them. Two problem areas. Everything else under control. I can live with that.

[Thrif-t]

She has also reorganized how she stores things on the dresser like headband and hair ties, getting little baskets to keep them all together neatly instead of them just being thrown about. We picked up a nice little basket at Goodwill the other day for that.

Man I wish I could get my DD to organize her dresser. I have to just stay out of her room. I cannot stand a cluttered dresser. I mean I know sometimes things get thrown there, but then I usually get it off and put it in its home. But DD throws EVERYTHING on her dresser, you can't even see the wood. Her dad would be like this if I let him. When we were in college, his dorm room dresser was just like that, so I can't even get mad at my DD because I know she inherited those traits from him!

[disneysteve]

My wife has really been working on the clutter. She has continued to address the bedroom and her dresser specifically. She has always collected small trinket boxes, getting them from various places we've traveled to as well as me giving her several as gifts over the years. Her dresser was mostly covered with them. She decided it was time to start trimming down, getting rid of the ones that just aren't that meaningful to her anymore. She has also reorganized how she stores things on the dresser like headband and hair ties, getting little baskets to keep them all together neatly instead of them just being thrown about. We picked up a nice little basket at Goodwill the other day for that.

She also picked up a nice tray to organize items in our bar area, and repurposed a couple of trays to better organize some stuff in the kitchen like container lids now that we made a bunch of extra room in the cabinets with our recent purge.

I've been working so nothing much to report myself but she's been keeping the progress going.