How to declutter? Help

**MrsFabuloso** · January 22nd, 2014, 02:32 PM

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!

**AnyDream** · November 12th, 2013, 10:18 AM

Double or nothing

**Frangipani Lou** · November 11th, 2013, 05:00 AM

Subbing too.

**Miss.September** · November 11th, 2013, 06:21 AM

I'm a bit like Kim - moving house tends to make you throw out a lot. At the moment, 99% of what we own is in boxes and it had to fit into storage into a room above a garage. So we had to be absolutely ruthless.

We got rid of so much stuff. Even our bedroom suite and couches! We don't have a dining table! We live in my mum's house so we didn't need it as her furniture is here, and we didn't want to store it. And in all honesty, in all the boxes we have here, I can probably tell you what's in 1/4 of it.

So tips of how I did it -

If you don't like the thought of giving it away, have a garage sale or list on eBay and make it earn money for you. Our biggest surprise was we got $700 for our dining table and chairs - we'd only paid $900 for it seven years previously!

If you forgot you had it, have your moment remembering where you got it/who gave it to you/what it meant to you (which is different from what it means to you - let's face it, if you forgot you had it, then it doesn't mean much), and toss it out.

Get rid of kitchen stuff you don't use. Do you really need 100 mugs in case you have someone over? Do you still need the dinner set you got from the reject shop when you first moved out? Goodbye!

Toss out old linen or cut it up for rags and use the newer stuff or stuff that is in better condition.

Cull kids toys - do you need to keep all the scrappy bits that arrived in a show bag/kinder surprise/ happy meal? Get rid of the jigsaw puzzles missing a piece - in case you find the piece.

CDs and DVDs take up a lot of space. Box up all the covers and put the disks in one of those 200 slot cases.

The bigger the space you allow for something, the bigger the problem can be. Before DD2 was born, DH used her bedroom as his office. Disaster! Stuff everywhere. But when we needed that room back to set up for her, he was reduced to a table in the garage and suddenly those old sports trophies could go, the piles of paperwork could be sorted and filed properly and he could find everything he needed.

It is easy once you take emotion out. And if you still can't bear to throw it out but it has no use, then put it in a box and store it in your garage.

**Rowellen** · November 11th, 2013, 08:08 AM

I have a small house too and I find I get very stressed and tend to crack it if the mess/clutter gets too much. I've been following Flylady for a few years now. Not religiously - I don't shine my sink - but the rules like:
You can do anything for 15 minutes. It doesn't have to be finished, just set a timer for 15 minutes and go go go until it goes off and then STOP. Do this once a day, once a week, several times during a day, whatever suits you. It will be done quicker than you think.
Start small. If the cupboard is overwhelming - start with the easiest shelf. If the room is overwhelming, work your way around clockwise (or pick the easiest spot). Do one drawer. One box. Set the timer for 15 and just go for it.
It doesn't have to be done all at once. It didn't get that way in a day and it won't a day to clear it out. It is an ongoing process. Sometimes I find I'll clear a space then come back to it a few months later and find I can remove a whole heap more.

I have joined a decluttering group on FB. "70 Day Christmas Decluttering Challenge". It's day 29 but it's not too late to join if you want. The group leader posts a daily challenge. People post pics of before & after if they want. Everyone is very supportive, helpful and encouraging. There is a list of the challenges someone on there so you could catch up or just work through slowly. I've only done about a quarter of them but it has made a huge difference already.

My rules are:
Clothes - not worn for 12 months - gone. BUT I assess each piece as it goes so I'm not completely strict with that. I'm struggling with the idea of getting rid of my wedding dress. I recently donated all my work business shirts. I haven't worn them since I was pg with DS and my stomach is just not shrinking back so they just don't fit. I kept them thinking "I'll lose the weight and they'll fit again" but realistically, even if I did lose the weight, I still wouldn't wear them because I HATE ironing and very rarely do it.

Toys - If they are past the age for it, it goes. I struggle with toys that were gifts. I recently returned a whole heap of FP stuff to MIL as I felt I couldn't sell it (she is quite attached to the FP brand and kept toys from when her kids were babies

) so I returned them to her to pass on to her daughter if she ever has kids. At least they are out of our house.

Tupperware - if not being used ever - out it goes. I really struggle with this one too as it's soooooo expensive and you know, it could be useful. I culled a bit a couple of years ago, and I have removed a few more in the last few weeks.

Ask yourself - is it useful? is it beautiful? do you love it? If the answers are NO NO NO - out it goes.

One thing I like to consider to help me make a decision is this - if the house was to burn to the ground, would I miss this? Would I want to replace it? Could it be replaced? Thinking along those lines, there is little I would keep.

I find gifts & sentimental items the hardest. I scan or photograph kids artwork and only keep certain special items like Mother's day & Father's Day gifts. I have a box for each child. That's it.

Good luck.

**Mumma T** · November 12th, 2013, 11:02 AM

I am in the process of decluttering, I find it pointless to try and do while I have DS on my own as I barely get going. Now I have started doing one section of a room a night (when I can) and I am managing to get DH to help.

I am hoping to be finished by end of the month so I can enjoy summer with the boys without constantly feeling like I need to be sorting things. Then I am sure by March it will need another decluttering

**wysiwyg** · November 12th, 2013, 11:43 AM

I was recently reading an article about clutter causing stress and it definitely is in our place for both DH and I.

How do I learn to be ruthless and throw out stuff that has meaning to us? The thought of Christmas is already stressing me out about how to store the gifts the girls get and telling people not to buy them s--t that we simply can't fit into our home and keep it orderly also. Arrr I already have 5 garbage bags for Vinnies just from today but it feels like it has not even dinted the stuff we have. We have a very large home and every where I look there is just more stuff to go through. I want a place for everything and right now I don't have that.

I think there has been alot of good advice about getting rid of stuff - but the not wanting it in the first place is also a valid strategy.

We live in a two bed flat, the four of us plus occasional UK visitors for weeks at a time - space is at an absolute premium, but I wouldn't change my stance if I had a bigger place (although I do think people maybe respect my wishes because of where we live). I have no qualms about telling people not to buy us things - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't (birthday parties have a 50% success rate - but that is 50% less stuff). The world is full of stuff, I do not want people buying stuff for us just for the sake of giving us something, that I then either have to store or donate - I really think it is unfair when people say "but you are taking away my joy of giving" - for one if the receiver doesn't want it, how can that give you joy, two you can give gifts that are not things (experiences, memberships, days out, etc. food) things that don't take up any space at all, and three the joy that some people get from shopping is not the same as the joy of giving.

Anyway what I have found works, is making sure give people suggestions on the alternatives, experiences etc - also make sure give feedback about how much enjoyed things, photos etc. Talking about how much DD enjoyed special cinema trip with her uncle, all the stuff we do with zoo pass, museum pass etc etc. Just being honest about why you don't want more stuff (space issues, and environmental reasons in my case). Thinking about how can add something to another thing already have or getting, e.g. a bell or basket to add to a bike already getting. Not buying other people presents (birthday parties we do buy gifts unless invite states no gifts, as that seems to be the default position) but getting them 'experiences' etc. or money if that is what they want.

**peanutter** · November 12th, 2013, 03:07 PM

Absolutely, wysiwyg.

This Christmas, we have actively told family that for the DSs, we would prefer they did not get gifts. They have too much stuff already - and yes, that includes craft supplies, a variety of indoor and outdoor toys, clothes, movies, books, etc. Of course there's things that they don't have which they would like. But they don't need it.

So what we have suggested proactively is that from immediate family (as we don't expect prezzies from anyone much else, other than KK!) is that they take the DSs on an excursion. Either the DSs together or separately - totally up to the giver.

We've made suggestions, and said dates that the boys will be available (based on other activities DH and have planned) and we are completely open to other ideas.

From my parents, the DSs are getting a friends of the zoo pass, and they will be coming for the first trip and bringing a picnic.

Other activities we've suggested range in cost from basically free (a day at the beach) to pricier (Pollywoodside) and inbetween (Scienceworks or the farm).

DS2 may not remember the trip - but he also won't remember the 3D chalk and new truck. DS1 will I suspect remember the trip, and am much more interested in him having an enormous storehouse of wonderful and happy memories with people who love him, and invest time into him when they can. Not just stuff.

My sister was a bit upset at the thought of my DSs not having anything to open, when the nephews are opening their gifts - so I offered (and she happily accepted) to hand over some toys in a tub not out right now, for her to wrap. I don't think the DSs will cotton on (or mind) - and everyone is happy. I'm not against stuff - just excess, and clutter.

I am under the impression that the PIL aren't taken by the idea - but we're not going to press the point further - my 3 siblings and parents are a good start!!

But if it works well, wee might do it again next year!

DH and my Christmas prezzies from parents have for the past several years gone towards a nice dinner out (JOY!!!) or an expensive specialist book or a trip to Gold Class ... this year, I'm tempted to spend it on a cleaner from the ASRC ... That will help to get rid of some clutter, and to not get more!!

This isn't something I think everyone should do.

But consider it, if you're feeling overwhelmed at another Christmas of stuff and clutter.

**peanutter** · December 30th, 2013, 09:02 PM

I have decluttered the clothes, half way through the clothes, the photos, and my earrings!

Getting there

**Frangipani Lou** · December 31st, 2013, 11:59 PM

We have cleaned out the garage, including the storage space. It took 2 days! Now it's time to donate all the books etc and decide what's next.

**peanutter** · January 1st, 2014, 11:34 AM

We did the filing cabinets about 2 months ago ... we have been *ok* since then. Ok, but not super.

With buying/swapping/selling - we're yet to actually sell anything much. Quite a bit of stuff has been freecycled or given away to people we know. If no one picks it up from freecycle within a reasonably short space of time (a week or two) we donate it to charity if it's something they can realistically sell.

If it's something the Salvos can't realistically sell (offcuts of wood, something which needs repairing, etc) and no one from freecycle nabs it, we bin it.

**MrsFabuloso** · January 1st, 2014, 12:23 PM

I am currently going through clothes (having a coffee break, lol) 2 big bin bags of Dh's clothes, 2 bags of kids clothes so far (still not finished theirs) and I'm yet to do mine and Will be going towels and sheets etc too. Dh is going through the toys today too. We have a gigantic 5br house, so it's not cluttered, but we will be moving to (likely) a much smaller 3 br house. Plus I'm not a fan of stuff for the sake of having it. This house WILL be put into ship shape order or else!!!!

**Mildez** · January 1st, 2014, 12:43 PM

Yes moving is a fab way to declutter. I think we will be in our current house for a very very long time.

**AnyDream** · January 1st, 2014, 10:53 PM

Great to hear the news of progress, big and small.

We still have a way to go, but when I think back to how things were at the start of 2013 I realise that we've actually come a long way. Interestingly, there have been relationship tweaks needed in order for the clearing to occur.

TT40 - for the very sentimental stuff, take a photo. Absolutely do not give your father the plaster cast of your arm!! My approach to selling stuff is that it has to be worth a decent wad of $$$ to be worth the time of listing it, etc. In order for things to be worth $$$ they really need to be something that someone is really going to want. So it's safe to assume if it hasn't sold readily after a couple of weeks, people aren't interested in it, so get rid of it. If it's in good condition, send it to charity, and if it's not, bin it. If you've got a lot to bin, ring the council to find out what other services they have or get a skip. Really. You pay more in the blockage to your energy by keeping it than you would getting rid of it.

**Ladylove** · January 2nd, 2014, 07:09 AM

Subbing because I need to declutter and have a penchant for collecting and nostalgia.

**peanutter** · January 2nd, 2014, 07:27 AM

We've also got stuff in the garage. Volleyball nets (no posts, just nets) football bladders, bent old second hand golf clubs (and perfectly good ones we use) etc.

I've told DH that if they aren't used, and he hasn't come up with an idea of how specifically we might use them by hard rubbish day (March) I will be strongly suggesting we piff them.

**Mumma T** · January 5th, 2014, 08:40 AM

Well I get somewhere and we seem to have more and more stuff appear. I have managed to declutter our wardrobe, DS's entire room and the loungeroom. Next on the agenda are the bathroom and then the kitchen.

My parents have decided to have a garage sale soon so I have to have it all sorted before then so hopefully I can sell a few things.

**~Kim~** · January 5th, 2014, 09:27 AM

I think the Buy, Swap, Sell stuff depends on how big your community is too. We have a reasonably small community and our BSS board is awesome. I've made $70 in the last few days. Hoping to make $103 for the money saving challenge this fortnight

The Organised Housewife has a 52 week decluttering challenge starting this week. I get her emails, and really love them.
The first one is reasonably simple - declutter your notice/mood/inspiration board.