How to declutter? Help

[AnyDream]

Kim, I think that is a really useful strategy - concentrate on one small thing at a time. Conquering one space (eg, the bathroom cupboard, notice board, whatever) helps you feel "I CAN DO THIS!" Which gives you energy to start tackling bigger areas.

I did the medicine cabinet yesterday - got rid of all the random packets & bottles that aren't things we use in the average year, consolidated all the bajillions of bandaids into one box - the surprise result is that I now have a whole shelf available for something else that used to be chockers. NOTE to fellow med cab cleaners - you can drop your old meds off at the pharmacy for safe disposal.

[~TT40~]

You girls will be so proud of me. Today I sorted through my 'filing system' last time I did it was 5? Years ago, and since then I get lazy and just put stuff in the box, and maybe the. Sort the. Where to go. But I use to keep everything! So had stuff going back to 2000! I've gotten rid of everything that isn't current and cut down on what to keep/not keep. One 50l tub, with 4 filafaxthings is now neat and organised in 4 folders. All I have left to do is tax stuff now =)
Then next job is the medicine cabinet and the cupboard under the bathroom sink.
Then the laundry cupboard
And finish the spare room
And...

So I thought I was nearly done, but I keep thinking of new things =p

[~Kim~]

Well done TT!! Filing is my nemesis.

Let you in on a secret. I don't 'do' clutter. I can't stand it, my mother is a hoarder and I am the complete opposite, however, there are always decluttering projects on my to-do list.

[Mumma T]

Well done TT

[Rowellen]

Great job TT!

I'm the same Kim. My mother's clutter drives me nuts. I itch to throw things out when I'm at her place. I refuse to be like that. I try not to let too much in to my house but it always feels so overwhelming. I'm working on a massive toy cull ATM. That's hard because we just got a heap more and the kids keep getting into my pile & pulling things out . Partly my fault. I've decided to focus more on experiences for presents from now on to minimise the inevitable clutter from presents.

[AnyDream]

I cleaned out my undie drawer today. Only nice new undies in there now.

Constantly amazed though at the tide of organisational-undoing and systematic re-cluttering that goes on in this house. Keep walking into DD's room only to find things I'd already removed. And I know it's not DD putting them back there, either. I've asked DH to take things to the op shop on his way to work and he leaves them there and then ??? forgets and then finally puts them away again.

[~TT40~]

How annoying MD!
Im struggling atm with all the papers I am throwing out, our bins are full so have piles of stuff clogging my house. .. the tip is only open for few hourd once a fortnight here and the ute is already full of garden waste. I feel like im not getting anywhere cause its not physically movinh

[AnyDream]

TT, we've had that problem in the past. Could you get around it by ordering a skip, or one of those garden waste places that leave a hessian bag on a frame and only charge you to collect when it's full? Sometimes those Jim's Mowing type places will do rubbish removal for a fee as well. Otherwise, is there an alternative recycling facility that would buy paper by the kilo? Scouts/schools collecting paper for $$? Other things we've done - chat to neighbours if you have them - about back-filling their bins after they've put them out on collection day (assuming you have rubbish collection). We've also bagged rubbish (pay more and get the heavy-duty garbags with the ties, etc), or boxed it up, and them "queued" it up in the carport/garage/along the side of the house. That way, you can dump the first lot as soon as the dump opens, then scoot home and collect the rest. Obviously this only works if your rubbish is "clean" of regular household waste (dont' want it being stinky or attracting critters) and if you make it a priority to get to the dump as soon as you can.

ETA - boxes are best if you have a lot of paper as it can be very heavy.

[Astrid]

We had a bonfire with all the paper work I got rid off. Thankfully being farming zone and not fire season, we could do it.
Otherwise I would shred. Shredding can go into compost, also some people/businesses with animals need shredded paper.

I have been de-cluttering a bit. Sometimes I am great at it, other times I struggle with the "Oh but it could be useful'. I am trying to use things now as I find them. It wasteful to not use them, whereas I had it drummed into me growing up to "save for special".

[Rowellen]

If you have a lot of paper for shredding, Endeavour will collect it & shred it for a small fee. We use them at work regularly. It's more than it's worth for regular household shredding in our case but if you have a large backlog, it could be useful.

[squeezles]

I think you just have to have the motivation/desire to change it. We moved house recently and when I couldn't fit things nicely in cupboards it certainly made me look twice at whether I actually needed the things that wouldn't fit!

[MrsFabuloso]

I just put 5 big garbage bags full of clothes, shoes, towels and sheets we no longer want/need/use into the Vinnies box! Gosh it feels good to be free of all of that excess stuff!

[~TT40~]

It so does!
I'm not an anxious person, but all the stuff we had lying around our place was really making me stress
Big things happening here! I'm attacking our linen closet. And planned on making a big post when I was done, including a photo. There is more involved than just decluttering

[HotI]

I have finished the toy room and also have a bunch of shoes that have been worn once or twice but no longer fit me due to pregnancy growing my feet.

i advertised them for sale on local buy swap sell group and got nothing. so now how do i get rid of them before they get absorbed back into the house?

[MrsFabuloso]

It so does!
I'm not an anxious person, but all the stuff we had lying around our place was really making me stress
Big things happening here! I'm attacking our linen closet. And planned on making a big post when I was done, including a photo. There is more involved than just decluttering

TT40, I get anxious when my house is really messy and cluttered too (not like normal day to day messy, but mega untidy stuff spread everywhere messy. If my house is like that, then my head space is pretty bad and I am usually suffering with my depression pretty badly). My mother in law is a hoarder, their house is absolutely full of 'stuff'. Just bits and pieces she thinks she might need someday- packaged food out of date, magazines, books, toys, material, old bedding/clothes.....just stuff, everywhere. When I go there, I feel like I *need* to clean. I hate staying there and after 16 years together, I have finally put my foot down to DH that I just can't stay there anymore because of how anxious I get. I can visit there, and I love my in laws, they're lovely. But I just can't live there for weeks at a time when we go up to see them.

[AnyDream]

i advertised them for sale on local buy swap sell group and got nothing. so now how do i get rid of them before they get absorbed back into the house?

Stick them in sturdy garbags, then donate them as fast as you can. Good quality toys are likely to be welcome at women's refuges or a community child care centre or toy library. Otherwise Vinnies, salvos etc will take them off your hands.

[MrsFabuloso]

Yep, if friends don't want my stuff I no longer use/want, then it goes into the Vinnies box. I donate whatever I can (they don't accept some stuff). Otherwise it goes to the tip.

[~TT40~]

I donated a car full of stuff last week. And have more, but it was a fit everything I can now and just do it so there is movement. Also, I was looking on the salvos website and sometimes they can actually pick stuff up, would depend where you are etc, but is handy to know if you have large stuff.