2016 Decluttering Thread

[creditcardfree]

I also took the first step on what will be an entire sub-project on the decluttering journey: dealing with photographs. I'm actually going to start a new thread on that topic in a moment.

I will follow that thread. I want to work on photos too. It seems so overwhelming, but times I have done something have always been an improvement.

[Gailete]

As someone that shops the thrift stores, Goodwill, Sal Val may I say thank you! I know I won't see what you contribute, but so happy for the folks that do. I just got back from my thrift store with an impressive haul - 45 brand new sewing patterns to list to sell which is one way I keep food on the table.

While there I saw lots of folks already doing their christmas shopping and several of the items that got snapped up were those big plastic doll houses. On the way home I passed someone's garbage by the curb and with it was a plastic doll house that was cuter than any I had just seen being sold. Now something may have been wrong with it, but I suspect, it was just someone too lazy to take it three blocks to donate.

So those things in good condition are so appreciated. Thanks!

[disneysteve]

As someone that shops the thrift stores, Goodwill, Sal Val may I say thank you! I know I won't see what you contribute, but so happy for the folks that do. I just got back from my thrift store with an impressive haul - 45 brand new sewing patterns to list to sell which is one way I keep food on the table.

While there I saw lots of folks already doing their christmas shopping and several of the items that got snapped up were those big plastic doll houses. On the way home I passed someone's garbage by the curb and with it was a plastic doll house that was cuter than any I had just seen being sold. Now something may have been wrong with it, but I suspect, it was just someone too lazy to take it three blocks to donate.

So those things in good condition are so appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks, Gailette. We have always donated items we no longer wanted to Goodwill, Purple Heart Veterans, Big Brothers, etc. If we can't use it but it is still usable, I'd much rather it find a new home rather than going in a landfill.

I totally agree with you about the things people trash. Years ago, my cousin and I used to sell regularly at a local flea market. Every week, I made the rounds of the neighborhood on trash night and collected many things that we then sold at the flea market. At the flea market itself, at the end of the day the dumpster area would be overflowing with unsold merchandise from the folks who were only there for the day to clean out the basement or garage. We would go over and collect much of the discarded stuff and add it to our stick to sell in later weeks.

[disneysteve]

I spent more time in the garage today. I found a few more items to donate and condensed a couple of boxes that remain.

I also continued to work on the photo albums, getting rid of 4 of them. I'll update the photo thread I started with the details.

[HundredK]

We just sold all but two of our digital cameras on eBay and are trying to determine whether to sell the last two. But I think it would be too hard right now to get rid of those, so for now, they'll stay. We've done some major decluttering this week of stuff that a year ago we couldn't imagine life without, but now we've come to terms with it. Weird how priorities change, isn't it?

[Gailete]

Steve depending on the types of photos you are going through, there may be a market for them as well on ebay, or other sites. You might want to check before you toss a photo.

[disneysteve]

Steve depending on the types of photos you are going through, there may be a market for them as well on ebay, or other sites. You might want to check before you toss a photo.

I highly doubt it. Most of them aren't in fantastic condition and weren't great pictures to begin with. I'll keep that in mind, though. Thanks.

[JoeP]

Want to bounce a few ideas off this group regarding decluttering.

At my place of employment, we move between cubes, usually within the same building. The moving company provides plastic totes, which are large, sturdy, and have attached lids that interlock. Here is the model.

I started wondering how much of my clutter is due to poorly sized containers. If you're like me, we have a hodge podge of containers: liquor boxes, paper ream boxes, plastic totes with loose or missing lids, boxes reused from shippers, etc. It seems logical that all these containers would be less optimal than fewer larger containers.

The price of the totes the moving company uses is high: around $15 a piece. I measured my shelving, and figured we'd need about 20. Being somewhat frugal, I have a hard time justifying $300 plus shipping just to not have the clutter, but there may be a silver lining: by emptying contents into these, I may have another opportunity to reduce.

Thoughts?

[disneysteve]

I started wondering how much of my clutter is due to poorly sized containers.

there may be a silver lining: by emptying contents into these, I may have another opportunity to reduce.

I can tell you that I've gone through the same thought process and it just doesn't work that way. Getting everything into similar boxes or totes that stack nicely helps visually but it does absolutely nothing to reduce clutter.

That last statement, though, is really the key. You need to force yourself to go through all of those liquor boxes and paper boxes and plastic totes and actually get rid of stuff that you don't want or need - sell it, trash it, or donate it.

You can buy some nice totes to organize what remains but I promise you won't need nearly as many of them as you think if you really attack the problem. If you think you have 20 totes worth of stuff right now, you probably won't need more than half that many by the time you're done.

[creditcardfree]

I started wondering how much of my clutter is due to poorly sized containers. If you're like me, we have a hodge podge of containers: liquor boxes, paper ream boxes, plastic totes with loose or missing lids, boxes reused from shippers, etc. It seems logical that all these containers would be less optimal than fewer larger containers.

Clutter is excess. Clutter is unmade decisions. Clutter is too much shopping. You don't need containers. You need less. It's not wrong to want it to look nice, but it is first best to get rid of the excess.

I personally have let go of so much stuff that I probably have 20-30 EMPTY bins/containers in my home. So declutter first THEN buy some nicer containers for what is most important. We really don't need as much as we think we do.

[snafu]

Joe, do you know what's in those various sized boxes? Ho often do you use the items stored? Our family defines clutter as items that are not used regularly and therefore not needed. I realize there are season items like garden equipment and supplies, Christmas decorations and seasonal sports products. Some people define storage as decisions not yet made or where unused items go to die.
Suggest you attempt to sell or donate items you no longer use, have replaced for newer model or keeping 'just in case.' Do you retain parts, cords, manuals for items you no longer have, can't identify or acknowledge are obsolete?

I believe you can reduce stress by using bins for only items you use at least annually.

[disneysteve]

Clutter is excess.

You don't need containers. You need less.

I personally have let go of so much stuff that I probably have 20-30 EMPTY bins/containers in my home.

Couldn't agree more.

The container of choice in our garage has always been milk crates. They're very sturdy, last forever, and can be stacked floor to ceiling - and they were.

Today, in an unused area of the basement, there are about 25 empty milk crates that used to be filled with stuff in the garage. I added 3 to that pile just this past weekend. Once I'm sure I no longer need them, I'll start getting rid of most of them.

[cypher1]

Working on getting rid of various electronics that I never really use, or that are sitting in my office.

Sold my PS4 on CL and got most of my money back. Got a great deal on it via work in earlier this year and may used it 10 times. Look a little loss on the 3 games I had for it. Keeping my PS3 since i'm more likely to play a game on that one.

Also sold my 4yr old Nexus 4 phone to a friend, since he wanted a backup for traveling.

While upgrading hardware, I sold my Emotiva processor to another friend, and gave him a bunch of older speaker wires I had collected in a large box.

[msomnipotent]

While trying to sort out a tax problem, I discovered my husband still has all of our tax records dating back to 1999. He said we might need them. I shredded all those up to 2006 anyway. The stack was 2ft high!

[creditcardfree]

I'm attempting to keep track of the amount of things coming into our home in December and match them with the same number going out. I made myself a tally sheet. I think it will keep me motivated to declutter in December.

So far 24 miniature ornaments, two plastic containers and an envelope full of receipts from November are gone. Three things came in the house yesterday, so I'm ahead right now.