2025 Decluttering Thread

[disneysteve]

Gone! I sold an unused soft top for a Jeep that was sitting in my garage. The box was 60"x38"x24" and I got $800 for it by posting it on Craigslist. Talk about reclaiming some space and a few bucks of spending cash. Onward!

That's awesome!

I spent a little time in the garage after dinner. Two big items got added to the donation pile. The original dining room chandelier (builder's grade, nothing of significant value) and the foyer light fixture. When we first replaced them, I saved them in case we sold the house and wanted to put them back, but we're not going anywhere. If we do, we're not attached to the fixture in the dining room. We do like the one in the foyer but for $30 or so we can pick up a cheap one to put there. I went through some old (like from my childhood) scrapbook stuff. I saved a small pile of photos and memories and tossed the rest. A number of product boxes got recycled. We've had them plenty long enough that we won't be returning them and if we ever sell any of the items, having the box wouldn't add much of anything to their value.

All of that was along the back wall of the garage. That's the area I'm focusing on now. Plenty more to do there but it's getting better every time I work in there, even for a short period.

[disneysteve]

About 45 minutes in the garage tonight. Emptied out one carton. Broke down a couple of large boxes. Started sorting through a very large box of collectibles and found numerous items to give away and several to list on ebay. I didn't get through the whole box but I made a pretty good dent. I'll finish it next time. It's going to be in the 90s here for the next week so I may not get in there again until it cools down.

[disneysteve]

I did a bit of cleaning in our computer room today. I listed 2 old printers on Buy Nothing and someone has claimed one of them so far. I haven't used either for at least 2 years so they need to go. If nobody claims the other I'll list it on Freebie Alerts.

[myrdale]

It's more organizing than de-cluttering, but I figured it was worth sharing all the same.

I ordered a pair of Pelican Air cases. One for my caving gear, and the other for my diving kit. Before storing each time, everything is washed, and dried.

I took the box on a caving trip this past weekend. I just tossed the box in the back of the truck and took off knowing everything was in order. At the site I pulled out what I needed, then that afternoon all the muddy gear went back in the box then everything was pressure washed the next morning.

There are cheaper options, Harbor Freight Apache boxes were a close second at about half the price. While a plastic tote from HomeDepot would probably provide most of the function, it's not the sort of thing to travel (fly) with.

I'm now in the process of going through my hiking/backpacking kit. Luckily the backpack itself removes the need for another box. If it's gear I wouldn't take on a week long trip, it's gone.

[disneysteve]

It's more organizing than de-cluttering, but I figured it was worth sharing all the same.

I think organizing is part of decluttering. Having a place for everything and everything in its place reduces clutter. Having one storage case with all of your gear contained is much better than having it scattered about. It keeps you from having to search for everything when you need it. It saves you time when prepping for a trip. It prevents spending money to replace things because you can't find them.

A lot of what I've done in our garage is better utilizing the space, storing things more efficiently, and making things more accessible.