Making do with less

Fitztwins

I do the 27 fling boogie...I have been trying to down size all the time. I MAKE myself get rid of clothes every few months...

I always gift books forward. Unless it is reference, I give it away.

I don't keep magazines.  I keep the recipes and articles I like and put them in a note book.

I try to clean the kids toys out every 3 months.

Janis

shokk

Hey Janis I saw that show last night and what did Oprah say........."does this clutter make my butt look big?"...........jeez no wonder my backside has been looking so big......it's the clutter.............so I like that English guy.........I also like the 27 fling boogie........I bought a new weight scale about 7 months ago not to weigh myself but to weigh trash bags......................I could not believe how much clutter can weigh..........now I cannot throw anything out or donate it without weighing it and keeping a chart on my frig............maybe I need to get professional help........Shokk

bluewillow

Hi!

And I thought it was the steroids that made me fat .  Please tell me, what is the 27 fling boogie?  I didn't get to watch Oprah-- sounds like it was a great show and I'd love to have seen it.  I just read about Peter Walsh's new book on Amazon.com the other day. 

What do you all do with your receipts from monthly bills paid?  I never know how long to keep stuff like that.  I think I have 2 or 3 years worth in my filing cabinet...

Take care,

Mary Jo 

shokk

Mary Jo the 27 fling boogie refers the the flylady.net website......go to first page of this thread to second post from Jasmine and her website is posted........she says everyday get rid of 27 things......either give away or throw away........she calls it the 27 fling boogie.........the English guy on Oprah says to fill one trash bag with trash each day and one bag to give away or donate each day....................fyi..............Shokk.........oh and the flylady says its good to weigh your trash bags to get an idea of how much clutter you have.................it really is amazing to start weighing clutter....she has a blog and people post how much in pounds of clutter they have removed from their homes..............

livesstrong

HELP LADIES - I NEED TO GET MOTIVATED - GIVE ME SOME TIPS!!!

Valerie

bluewillow

Hi Shokk, thanks for the clarification on the 27 Fling.  It sounds neat, and that's my lucky number (my birthday is May 27)  Sounds like a doable plan, but I'm like Valerie, I need motivation!!!!!  I just finished chemo 1/28/08 and am really getting my physical energy back, but I need the mental energy!!  I start rads on 2/25, so I need to get something done before then.  Help!

Thanks!

Mary Jo

iodine

My best suggestion is to start with something you can finish quickly--the junk drawer in the kitchen.  Take it out, dump everything on the counter and clean out the bottom

Have a trash can ready, throw out Everything not used in the past year or two.  If you have several of something, put them aside and see which ONE you want to keep.

Throw away all those pens that don't work, put the rubberbands in a baggie.  Get rid of all those twistie ties, be brutal! 

Get some of the section thingies from rubbermaid and use those to separate parts of the drawer and make spaces for stuff.

don't put pencils back till they've been sharpened, even if you have to take them to work to do it (unless you "borrowed" them from from work, of course).

Then take the trash bag and throw it away before you or your family have time to take stuff out of it!

Then think of the next place you can go: laundry room?  bathroom?  Just pick one drawer at a time and you won't get over whelmed.  You will really feel an accomplishment--you will have completed a project!

Fitztwins

Start with a closet or something small. You will get the hang of it.

I am going to start the 3 pick up rule. If I have to pick it up 3x, it is gone. (for the kids).

KariLynn

I spent the afternoon in DDs room - came out with a big trash bag (the black outdoor kind) of junk and a box of toys to hid away and see if she even notices.  Her room was a hazard and we've been having her clean it daily.

livesstrong

Ok, Ladies -  I think this crappy weather is not helping my motivation, but I am taking your advice.   This weekend I am going tackle the cabinets under my bathroom sinks.  Since I have 3 bathrooms this should take awhile!!  I also have a junk drawer that needs work.

I'll keep you posted!!

Valerie

abbadoodles

Valerie, I think crappy weather is the BEST time to clean.  Or, so I am telling myself, as I look outside my window.  Yuck.  Well, after shoveling for five and a half hours today (DH is on vacation in the Keys!), cleaning a closet seems light duty.  Maybe I will reward myself with half a bottle of wine after the day's efforts.

Okay, back to the grind.  My kitchen counters are looking pretty shabby again. 

Tina

livesstrong

bumping up

abbadoodles

Organization hint that works for me:  Buy extremely pretty containers to put stuff into, as in on your desk.  Also, pretty, patterned file folders.  Yes, they are expensive compared to the manilla variety.  "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down......in the most delightful way."

Tina

paige-allyson

I find the Flylady approach that you can do anything (like decluttering) for 15 minutes really helpful. I use the timer on my sports watch and it is amazing what I can get done in that amount of time.

Bancroft

Here are my rules-

1. Something new in the house- something old has to be thrown away or given away

2. We are on pick up route for charity- they send us a postcard and stop by every month or so- when they come I fill up a bag or box for them- just open a closet and go through what has not been worn in a year and out it goes

3. All books are given forward except for a few reference or special ones, but almost all paperbacks

4. On recycle day- all magazines out- pull out recipes as I read and file them away

5.  Check out flylady.  Really helps.

6. Read mail by recycle bin- open and trash in one step.

bluewillow

Hello everyone!

Today is a nice mild sunny Sunday and I'm home alone and cleaning like mad!  I've got Goodwill boxes scattered in the living room filling them up steadily, and they're going into my car tonight to be delivered tomorrow after my radiation treatment.  I am really wide open and getting a lot done, thanks to the inspirations from you nice ladies! 

Bancroft, I love your rules!  I plan to make a set of my own, similar to yours.  Tina, love the pretty container ideas!  Allyson, yes the FlyLady is great!!

I'd planned on selling most of this stuff on eBay, but I'm SICK of eBay, so it's going to Goodwill.  Anyone else out there sick of eBay too?  I guess I've realized how much clutter in my house that I'd bought there, and I'm tired of the ridiculous fees from selling there.  So, onward I march, broom and dust pan in hand!  Thanks for letting me pop in here and vent!

Have a pleasant Sunday!

Mary Jo

abbadoodles

Mary Jo, I whole-heartedly agree with you about eBay!  They ticked me off a couple of years ago when they discontinued billing for listing fees and insisted on a credit card or bank account instead.  Also, I am pretty much of the opinion that unless there is a pretty high dollalr  value on an item, it's more trouble to list it, pack it, etc.  Just give it away, Jose!  If it's strange stuff that Goodwill or Salvation Army won't take, there's always FreeCycle in your area.  I've had wonderful luck with them.

And, Bancroft, getting rid of something every time you buy something is a winner.  One of the reasons I started this thread was not just as an organizational motivator but to propt us all, myself included, to examine the amount of stuff we have in our lives and ask ourselves just how much good it is doing us.  Visual clutter definitely affects my state of mind.  It's almost like a stone wall I slam into when trying to think clearly and get things done.

Today I am cleaning out my studio/workspace and will be listing stuff on FreeCycle.  You should see the pile I'm working on building up of this perfectly good but useless (to me) stuff.  WHAT have I been thinking???  Now, I can see the floor and it'll get mopped up of all those dust bunnies that've been lurking.  Oh, happy day!

Don't you get so mad at yourself when you realize all the money you've wasted on stuff that you really don't want and don't need?

Tina

paige-allyson

Thank you for saving me from probably wasting my time selling things on e-bay. Tina- I am totally with you re: the mentally draining effects of visual clutter. Absolutely re: the people wasting!

Mary Jo- just an aside but I am a dachshund lover- have a longhaired standard dachshund- Wendy- just recovering from successful back surgery. I was glad I didn't purge all our old towels the day before she got a slipped disc and was unable to walk and was peeing all over herself. I think even the Flylady recommends having a stash of old towels for these kinds of catastrophes- pet illnesses and stomach bugs, etc. I was so close to ditching those towels.

Today I have gotten a slow start but I am working on purging my book collection. We have a give away/take away shed at our transfer station- I get some great books there but today I am leaving two big bags for others to enjoy.

Bancroft -thank you for your suggestions- I followed your things in/things out rule yesterday- might not have were it not for the reminder.

Lovely day here today- perfect for the joys of getting rid of things and making more space for sunlight and air.

bluewillow

Hi again!

Wow, it was three hours when I sat down to post my previous message, and I can't believe what all I've accomplished.  It is the nice sunny weather that makes me want to clean!  When it is rainy, I want to plop on the couch, in front of the woodstove, with a book and bowl of popcorn, hot chocolate, etc.

Tina, yes, I just wish I had all the money back from all the unnecessary stuff I've bought, but I have a newfound guilty feeling when I do go shopping, thinking twice and three times when I think I want to purchase more stuff.  So far, it's working well.  I don't even frequent yard sales any more very often, maybe once or twice a year, and I used to go all the time.  I do go to thrift shops, but my husband goes with me, I think to "police" what I buy, that rascal...

Allyson, YAY for Doxie Lovers of the World!  I hope Wendy is healing well and I know she is just beautiful!  I wish you could post a photo of her here.  Is she friends with your avatar kitty?  And that's a good point about the old towels-- thanks!  I wish our trash centers would set up a give away/take away shed like yours.  I think they are just too lazy here to manage it, which is sad, because a lot of stuff ends up in our rivers.  When we had the floods of 2004, you would not believe what came out of those rivers and where they ended up.  God's way of cleaning them out and sending a message, I believe.

Has anyone read the book by Peter Walsh, Does this Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?  I would love to hear from anyone who has read it and if it is worth the read. I love the title, and wonder if it's worth the investment because my local library doesn't have it any more.  I've noticed a lot of missing books from our library, and honestly I wonder if people don't carry them out without checking them out first, and sell them on eBay.  I don't really have it in for eBay, but I've wondered that sometimes.

Sorry I've babbled...

Later, gators---

Mary Jo

abbadoodles

Mary Jo, I've not read that book but I do like his approach.  The ONE book on clutter that I've read that I go back to and reread again and again for a "shot in the arm" is Karen Kingston's Clearing Clutter with Feng Shui.  Don't be scared off by the title; this one is not too "out there."  Not like her other book on clearing sacred space, which didn't ring my chimes. 

Believe me, everyone I've recommended this book to has absolutely LOVED it.  No kidding.  I don't know what's so different but it works for me.  Hopefully, your library has it.  If not, it is worth buying, IMO.  Short and sweet and to the point.  Awesome.

Love to (((doxie))).

Tina

Bancroft

Spring is coming and we all should be motivated to do more clutter work.

I love to give stuff away to charity.  It helps my family with the " what if we want this after its gone feelings" because we convince ourselves that someone else is enjoying our stuff.

iodine

I donate to Habitat for Humanity in their store here that sells to raise money for homes.

I also drop nice things off to be sold on ebay by a local seller.  I hate the idea of wrapping and shipping and dealing with possible unhappy buyers.

Consignment shops are also good.

I think it's easier to let go of some things if you know you will have a little extra funds for some fun things.

abbadoodles

Girls, I made so much progress in cleaning up my studio yesterday that I actually slept better and got up this morning not feeling that familiar, old dread of stepping into this building.  I hadn't realized how much my mess was weighing on me!  I now feel positively energized! 

What is your (everyone's) experience with yard or garage sales?  Do you find people just want something for nothing?  Tire kickers?  Is it worth setting up at all?  What are your hints for making it work and getting a decent price for stuff?

Spring is in the air...............

Tina

Anonymous

Hi Ladies, This is a great thread too. I love to declutter, it sure makes me feel better about my spaces. Also so much easier to keep clean and better looking. Nursing homes are a great place to bring books and magazines too and also craft supplies you don't use anymore. Women's shelters also can use clothing for both women and children as well as toys for the kids there. Alot of people also bring their things to the local auctions to be sold.....at least you get something for the stuff if you don't like the yardsale route. I have a daughter in university so these kids are always in need of items as well for their living quarters...you know how broke they are with tuition and all, so old furniture, kitchen stuff and all that is always needed. I've been in the clean out mode for a couple weeks now but guess what? My sister just moved and I came home to two big old lazyboys set downstairs that my hubby brought back from the move....aaagghh......well those will be out the door to the next university residence asap!

bluewillow

Hello everyone!

I'm at work trying to declutter my office so I thought I'd report in!  Where do all these papers come from?????  

Iodine, what kind of fees does your local eBay seller charge?  I'd thought about that but didn't know how expensive that would be.  Would be nice not to have to deal with all the hassles, though!

Tina, my mom and dad and I have had many yard sales in the past and we always do very well.  Since I live out in the country with no extra parking space, we always have it at their home.  They live in a nice quiet neighborhood and are very well known, so people come in droves to shop.  My parents have passed along their pack-ratitis to me, but at 80, they are slacking off some.  If you're going to have yard sale, make sure all your items are nice and clean, clothes hanging or folded neatly, and make sure you have someone to help you with the customers and to watch the till, because there are people who steal at yard sales! It is hard work, so be prepared to be very tired at the end of the day, but overall, it's always been worth it to us.  I've just decided this year  that I can't wait until warm weather gets here to get rid my stuff, so I'll just help out my parents with their stuff. We always have a blast and enjoy talking to all the folks that come by.

Viv, what a neat thing to do for the college kids by donating old kitchen stuff!  And good luck with the recliners-- I'm sure they'll love those!

Happy cleaning everyone!  

Mary Jo 

iodine

The local ebay store charges what ???, I just drop the stuff off, and pick up a check.  I look at it this way: I was not going to use it, give it away or dump it.  So--anything i get is gravey.

I have tried the yard sale thing: no thank you.  That's what consignment stores are for.  Again, not going to use it, donate it, or dump it, so I don't care that they charge 40% for working there everyday and taking care of the sales.  I get more for it than I would have had with it sitting in my closet or given away.

I know, I'm lazy, but my hourly wages were a great deal more than I can make at a yard sale.  Or used to be, before I retired.  LOL, now social security is almost a joke.

althea

I've barely lifted a finger since I scoured my home top to bottom last october in preparation for my Mom's 80th birthday and out-of-town family coming to visit.  I made the mistake of telling a friend how good my garden was looking, and got talked into having our garden group tour my garden.  My lawnmower's broken.  Haven't mowed since November (only the weeds need mowing at this point).  And now the tour is looming closer and closer, happening March 15. 

I was so hopeful I'd be revitalized by the clean house and spiffed up garden.  Instead, I've had the longest crash and burn since my ass started dragging 2+ years ago during radiation.  I had bloodwork showing my thyroid out of balance in December. 

Now I suspect rads knocked it out of balance and I've been suffering fatigue all this time with no relief.   I'm getting no help from my internist. I got some advice from a chiropractor suggesting I'm iodine deficient and supplements might help.  They haven't.  Not yet at least and it's been 2 weeks.  

I think/hope/pray alternative medicine will bring relief from the relentless fatigue.  So I took a leap of faith and ordered some products that should arrive this week.  One of them is an 'intestinal formula' that's gonna declutter my insides big time.  I have my plunger poised for action in case the giant poop I'm going to have clogs the toilet!  Desperate times call for desperate measures! 

abbadoodles

Dotti, you are so right!  I am calling my local couple who does eBay for others and ask what they charge and what type of things they accept.  Thanks for the whack on the side of the head.

Oh, I've had garage/yard sales and been very disappointed but I was thinking I was doing something wrong.  If you advertise 9 to 3, the dealers start lining up in their cars at 6 AM and even try peeking into the garage while you're setting up.  It's really unbelievable.  Then, when you do open, sniff at the low quality of your stuff, then scoop up anything really good, try to beat you down in price and leave you with the junk for the general public.  Even if you say "no dealers."  I just get a bad feeling about it.  Like I'm disappointing them because my junk is not good enough.

Well, it's another great day for cleaning.  Althea, cleaning out your innards is really taking it to the limit.    You are one brave girl.

Tina

paige-allyson

I came here thinking, "Hmm, what are the declutterers up to that might inspire me..?" Little did I know just how far some of you are willing to take it...I hope I can stop laughing before I have to go teach my class tonight. Good luck with today's umm...project, Althea. Hope all goes well.. LOL. Me, I'm a wimp, for now I think I will just do the dishes and weed out some more books. Love the garden talk, we are so eager for spring here in the frozen north.

livesstrong

You ladies are sure on a roll.

I'm beggining to think I live in the wrong part of the country.  We don't have consignment shops here and what on earth is a "transfer station"??  The only thing I have is freecycle and ebay.

I have also been the yard sale route - I usually slep my stuff to a friends because I live in a townhome where they are not allowed.  The problem is everyone wants everything for nothing!!   My problem is - I LOVE TO SHOP AT THEM!!!  I have to say I've bought quiet a bit then came home and sold it on ebay for alot more then I'd pay for it.  So it worked out for me.

I need to get my butt in gear, we just found out DH's cancer is back so the past few weeks I haven't done a thing but deal with all that nonsense.  Things have started to calm down so maybe this weekend I'll get to all the bathroom cabinets I've been wanting to get too. 

Keep up the good work ladies,

Valerie