2025 Decluttering Thread

[disneysteve]

I started my periodic ebay inventory a couple of days ago. I've only done 2 shelves so far but have already found a set of 4 mugs that wasn't actually listed. I also found 5 items (a crystal figurine, a pack of business card magnets, a Pyrex bowl, a LEGO Bionicle, and a nice weekender bag) that weren't listed anywhere either. I know I had tried to sell some of those things on Marketplace and they never sold. It was probably before my old Facebook account got hacked and then I never relisted them on my new account.

I listed the magnets and the bag on Buy Nothing today and the bag is already gone.

I'm going to keep working on the inventory and try to clear out some dead stock that just hasn't been moving. I'll either do Buy Nothing or donate to the thrift shops. It will free up storage for inventory I do want. Also ebay sometimes deletes listings in a "spring cleaning" process but they don't notify you when that happens. You could have items sitting on your shelf that you know you listed but they aren't actually listed anymore so they're never going to sell.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

where's the photos!

[disneysteve]

We're in the midst of remodeling our kitchen and in a few weeks we might need to store the new cabinets in there temporarily. Previously that would have been a pipe dream but now, I think it can actually work if we need it to.

We found out on Thursday that the cabinets were coming Friday morning. I asked our contractor if he needed the garage cleared to store them. He said he didn't want them stored in the garage due to the heat but he did need a 30" wide path from the garage door to the house door to bring them in. In about 15 minutes, I was able to rearrange and condense stuff to create a path several inches wider than 30" so there was plenty of space. That was a huge win in my mind. As I said, not that long ago doing that would have been impossible.

Of course, now some of the progress made in there got messed up but as soon as there's a cooler day, I can go in and rearrange again as the shelving units are currently blocked, but at least I was able to make it happen quickly and easily.

[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.

[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]

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.

[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]

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.

[ua_guy]

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!

[disneysteve]

I did a short session in the garage yesterday. At this point, what remains in there is stuff I really need to go through item by item. I went through two cartons of stuff yesterday. When I was done, I had condensed what I wanted to keep into one carton (the smaller of the two boxes). The rest either got put in a box for Goodwill, a box for ebay, or trashed.

My plan going forward will be to keep doing the same sort of thing. Go through one or two boxes at a time and try to weed out the stuff we don't want/need and reduce the overall number of boxes in there.

[james.hendrickson]

Same - I listed like three or four things on Facebook marketplace. I like have less stuff in my place, and more money in my bank account.

[ua_guy]

We had an epic decluttering sesh yesterday. Filled the whole back of a large SUV full of donated/recyclable clothing, e-waste/recycling, and household goods we just no longer want or need. Next up is to rent a pickup truck to dispose of larger items. I have some metal scrap recycling I need to do, as well as get rid of some old furniture, totally worn out desk chair, etc. Feels good!

[disneysteve]

I think dealing with the kitchen remodel has been spurring me to declutter and minimize all of the stuff. In addition to all I did in the garage the other day, I've given away several items in our Buy Nothing group. This morning, I went through the drawers of my bedside table and got rid of a bunch of items (and listed one on Buy Nothing). I cleaned off my dresser a couple of days ago. I tidied up my computer desk, though that's always a problem area. Just overall I really see myself taking a more targeted approach to the clutter.

[disneysteve]

Many times after working in our garage, I left feeling like I was just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Even though I knew I had done a lot, it never really looked different to the casual observer (like my wife or daughter). The last couple of times I actually felt like I made noticeable progress. Today, I spent several hours in there and by the time I finished up, the space was clearly different. I can honestly say I finally hit that point where anyone can see the change. The garage is the cleanest it has been in probably 25 years. There is a good amount of open floor space. The main walkway is wider. Plus I can now easily walk to the shelves along the far wall without having to climb over anything. It actually feels open and airy in there. I can't remember when I last thought that.

There is still plenty to be done and lots of boxes to sort through but there's now actually space to move around in there and do stuff.

We're in the midst of remodeling our kitchen and in a few weeks we might need to store the new cabinets in there temporarily. Previously that would have been a pipe dream but now, I think it can actually work if we need it to.

[disneysteve]

Today we went through our main pantry and one set of cabinets where food is also stored. We were able to toss a number of items, condense several things, and move a bunch of things to the basement. Work doesn't start for 12 more days so we can't totally empty out yet as we're still using it but we took out most of the stuff that we won't use in that time.