2018 Decluttering Thread

[Thrif-t]

AAAAAAAHHHHHH my DH is bringing home CLUTTER!!

His mom died 3 years ago, they are just now starting to take little things out of the house cause FIL has altzheimers. I don't want the stuff!

Oh, at one time, 27 years ago when we first got married I wanted those cool martini glasses, but now, nope! I don't have a need for them or a place. Or that stryrofoam cooler, we don't need that, we have 3 coolers of our own. And the candles, pee-ew, those will be going to goodwill sooner rather than later, got enough of my own scents that I actually like.

One thing he brought I did want, a lenox tea pot. I have some lenox and it will match what I have in my china closet.

Ugh the rest will clutter up my basement and I will have to let it sit there and look at it. In a few years, when he forgets, I can get rid of things little at a time. Ugh

Or maybe our kids will start to move out and they can take the stuff, but I really think that is still 2 or 3 years away.

[comicguy]

On Thursday I was able to get rid of the following items:

1 tape dispenser - robotics center
2 Book - Donated
1 bag of 3D printed balls - Donated community art project
2 mason jars - back to the person who sent the soup
12 damaged ceiling tiles - trashed
6 dead pens - trashed
6 freezer burned donuts - trashed
1 Toilet brush - trashed
1 book - recycled
2 cardboard box - recycled
1 broken plastic container - recycled
1 mop and glo used up and recycled
3 swiffer wipes used up and recycled the box

In total 38 items left the house. A little at a time os starting to make a small difference.

[disneysteve]

Apparently today was paper decluttering day. I went through a storage box in the kitchen and recycled a stack of old magazines, articles that had been cut out of things, expired coupons, etc.

Then in my desk file drawer, I got the rest of last year's bills into the shredding box. I had held onto them until taxes were filed but I don't need them anymore.

So no readily visible clutter but still stuff that was ready to go.

[creditcardfree]

More paper decluttered at our home today as well. I'm determined to keep only what is absolutely necessary.

Today, I realized I don't need the receipts for repairs on our daughter's instruments. I kept the original purchase receipts since they have the serial numbers on them, will likely scan those since those are a long term storage item.

I also went through our car repair receipts and let go of the receipts and the assessment sheets the service person fills out each time. I keep the most recent of those. I'd really rather just have a spreadsheet of maintenance and repairs done by date....something to set up here eventually. Might be easier to start next time we buy a new vehicle!

[msomnipotent]

Honestly I don't measure. I don't use as much detergent as they suggest either and I keep my old detergent measuring cups and fill them up full with vinegar and put in the washer. I'd say anywhere from 3/4 to a cup for a full load of towels.

I just fill up my fabric softener reservoir, so I don't measure either. I would start out with maybe a 1/2 cup and add more if they aren't soft enough.

[msomnipotent]

More paper decluttered at our home today as well. I'm determined to keep only what is absolutely necessary.

Today, I realized I don't need the receipts for repairs on our daughter's instruments. I kept the original purchase receipts since they have the serial numbers on them, will likely scan those since those are a long term storage item.

I also went through our car repair receipts and let go of the receipts and the assessment sheets the service person fills out each time. I keep the most recent of those. I'd really rather just have a spreadsheet of maintenance and repairs done by date....something to set up here eventually. Might be easier to start next time we buy a new vehicle!

My husband keeps every receipt he can get his hands on. My problem is that he leaves them on the kitchen island or just throws them on his dresser. I can't even look at his dresser or I will just dump everything in the garbage. I have started asking stores if we need to keep the receipt for a return or warranty claim. A lot of places now keep the info in their system so the receipt is not needed. If I could just get that through his head...

[Thrif-t]

My husband keeps every receipt he can get his hands on. My problem is that he leaves them on the kitchen island or just throws them on his dresser. I can't even look at his dresser or I will just dump everything in the garbage. I have started asking stores if we need to keep the receipt for a return or warranty claim. A lot of places now keep the info in their system so the receipt is not needed. If I could just get that through his head...

Sometimes reading your posts, I feel we are married to the same man😂

[msomnipotent]

Sometimes reading your posts, I feel we are married to the same man😂

Lol! 😂

[creditcardfree]

My husband keeps every receipt he can get his hands on. My problem is that he leaves them on the kitchen island or just throws them on his dresser. I can't even look at his dresser or I will just dump everything in the garbage. I have started asking stores if we need to keep the receipt for a return or warranty claim. A lot of places now keep the info in their system so the receipt is not needed. If I could just get that through his head...

Grocery and gas receipts, too? What are the reason to keep such receipts? I get holding on to bigger purchase receipts, but even those seem like they should be limited. How many times have you ever used a receipt for a warranty claim. It's only happened to me once or twice! Maybe you could convince him to keep the receipts in one place...so over time he'll see how much space they take up! Hopefully it's not more than a bin or two.

[Bluebird]

Over the weekend I decluttered a bookcase, 2 cabinets and both boys' dressers. I donated and threw away so many items, I didn't count. I swear I will not keep the free pads of paper that come in the mail anymore! I think I donated about 20 of those! I have 6 books to "sell" to my local bookshop. They give you a few dollars to spend on future purchases.

[msomnipotent]

Grocery and gas receipts, too? What are the reason to keep such receipts? I get holding on to bigger purchase receipts, but even those seem like they should be limited. How many times have you ever used a receipt for a warranty claim. It's only happened to me once or twice! Maybe you could convince him to keep the receipts in one place...so over time he'll see how much space they take up! Hopefully it's not more than a bin or two.

I can see keeping the grocery receipts a day or two. He constantly buys the wrong thing and I make him go back and return it. Or something rots right away. I had a package of ground beef that needed to be returned a day later because the outside was pink and perfect, and the inside was a brown rotting clump. The jerks actually took old beef and wrapped fresh beef around it. The stores around here charge the wrong amounts all too often, too. So one or two days is fine with me, just throw them away when you know you don't need them!

We had our daughter's family birthday party on Sunday, so I was able to give some stuff back to the rightful owners (like my sister's mail that she left here and wouldn't pick up), and give some things I no longer need away (like the Callblocker since I no longer have a home phone). We just worked on decluttering her bedroom and now it is filled up with gifts again.

I'm working on the family room and computer room today. The family room should take 10 minutes. I think the computer room will take 10 years.

[creditcardfree]

I can see keeping the grocery receipts a day or two.

Oh, I can see that too. We go through receipts twice a month (every payday). All are kept in a basic envelope on our desk until that time.

I'm working on the family room and computer room today. The family room should take 10 minutes. I think the computer room will take 10 years.

Some rooms and areas do take more time than others. Computer rooms can be full of files, papers and outdated electronics. One folder, one shelf, one drawer at a time and you will make progress!

[disneysteve]

Computer rooms can be full of files, papers and outdated electronics. One folder, one shelf, one drawer at a time and you will make progress!

I went through the computer room a while ago and basically saved one type of each cable or connector. That was probably a year or two ago and I still haven't needed any of them. I think it's time to go through it all again and get rid of everything.

Someone mentioned the minimalist book that teaches that if you can easily replace the item for under $20 you should get rid of it. I'm going to start incorporating that philosophy into my decluttering efforts.

[creditcardfree]

I went through the computer room a while ago and basically saved one type of each cable or connector. That was probably a year or two ago and I still haven't needed any of them. I think it's time to go through it all again and get rid of everything.

Someone mentioned the minimalist book that teaches that if you can easily replace the item for under $20 you should get rid of it. I'm going to start incorporating that philosophy into my decluttering efforts.

That's a good way to approach those cords initially...until you really know what you need to keep. Good idea to let those go now that more time has past. And yes, I mentioned The Minimalists and their $20 criteria. The truth is we keep more stuff 'just in case' than we ever will actually use.

[disneysteve]

That's a good way to approach those cords initially...until you really know what you need to keep. Good idea to let those go now that more time has past. And yes, I mentioned The Minimalists and their $20 criteria. The truth is we keep more stuff 'just in case' than we ever will actually use.

Also, with the advent of Amazon (and especially Prime), I can have pretty much anything in my hands within 48 hours. Keeping a bunch of random crap "just in case" just isn't worth it anymore. Plus we are at a point in our lives where holding onto a $10 item for years "just in case" is a waste. We can replace it if necessary without any issue.

When I was cleaning in the basement recently, I went through a box of stuff from a retreat we used to run. Along with all of the paperwork was supplies like paperclips, staples, and 2 staple removers. For a moment, I was going to bring them upstairs and put them in my desk drawer. I stopped myself and realized they've been in that box for about 6 years and I haven't missed them. I don't need to keep them, so out they went.