Not quite a horder - decluttering

voraciousreader

Suzette - There's NOTHING like a closet full of comfortable shoes!  That was a three year long project for the DD and me.  We made a committment to research and find comfortable shoes.  We bought shoes for each occasion or activity that we needed them for, ONE PAIR AT A TIME.  I can now say that I can go into my closet and whatever shoes I choose to wear...ARE COMFORTABLE and they don't fail me or her.  I used to have a pile of shoes in the closet and it used to drive the DH nuts when I opened my closet door to retrieve a pair!  One day, I realized, after he called me out, that I needed to seriously find a better way of buying shoes.  I'm so happy now when I open my closet door.  I don't think twice about which shoes I'm going to wear.  I donated the last pair of BEAUTIFUL/AWFUL shoes -- that I think I wore TWICE...and now, I have NO REGRETS at all!  I now have BEAUTIFUL/COMFORTABLE shoes!  YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jaimieh

So I made $290 on the stuff that I got rid of this past weekend   Cleaned out 2 rubbermaid bins, 2 bags of books and a couple of large toys.  I also got rid of a normal size bag of clothes & a garden trash bag size of clothes.  I still have a LONG way too go.

This week:

1. Laundry (I HATE laundry)

2. put clothes away

3. continue getting rid of clothes

4. paperwork

suzwes

Well, last night I supervised shredding (the 5 year old shreds and grammy supervises) and cleaned out, got rid of and repapered my pots and pans cupboard!  YEAH!  Today I'm going to try to tackle one pile in my office at work (I did dust yesterday and I get paid to do this decluttering and cleaning)!

Great job making money on this venture - almost $300~~  woo hoo

One day at a time and one or two tasks at a time.  We'll get it done!

Meece

I did lots of outdoor work yesterday, but I hit my sewing room in the afternoon and got rid of one kitchen garbage can full of stuff.  It made me feel good to get rid of it.  Just got to plug on.  I am going to start teaching a little girl to sew in a couple of weeks, so I want to have the room in better order.

voraciousreader

Okay. The DD and I are ready for spring!  Donated 4 bags of clothes a month ago.  Took inventory of what we needed.  Both needed new white tee shirts...with spandex, of course...and NOT expensive.  Spent the last 4 weeks on the prowl.  Thanks, Marshalls $5.99 each!  Three new t's for each of us.  Just threw out the old ones...you know which ones I'm talking about....yellow pit stains?!   I just couldn't part with them, until I had new ones.

suzwes

I wonder if our garbage companys are shocked and awed by the amount of garbage we're leaving for them to pick up?

Heidihill

I gave away 2 bags of ceramic and metal pots, baskets and vases to kids in the neighborhood who are arranging flowers on them to raise fund for Japanese relief efforts. Plus I made 8 liters of miso soup for them to sell.

Wonderland

Heida - that's wonderful!!!

I have continued to aggressively attack certain areas in the house. What a difference. Will continue decluttering this weekend.

Thanks for the motivation and keep at it ladies!

suzwes

Heidi - I second that - what a wonderful idea!

I will continue too! Finishing lunch and going to tackle more of the kitchen cupboards while my baby granddaughter takes her nap (I'm watching her today - so fun)!

o2bhealthy

I am so frustrated!!!! The last three weeks were beautiful as I de-cluttered my house for a yard sale this week.  Now my garage is bursting at the seems and we are having a massive weather front this weekend with wind, rain and 20 degree temp drop!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!  

Wonderland

I'm taking today off from work because my DD is home from college. While she's busy working on assignments, I've been busy clearing out. Just finished the bedroom. I went through all the stuff that gets put down "just for now" and then stays there until I can't stand looking at it anymore. Was able to throw 1 grocery bag size of junk away and piled a lot of papers in the recycling bin. May and November is the time I go through the closet.

A bit at a time - it looks so much better!

Wonderland

o2b: I would be frustrated also! Hope you can postpone your yard sale until another weekend.

o2bhealthy

Thanks Wonder!  My next available weekend isn't until May  and this is the last weekend my DH will have off due to new work schedule...I really wanted his help and support because I am already swelling with just trying to organize the mess in the garage.  I cannot imagine setting it up my myself with my LE  (especially as it get's hotter).  Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Other then all the yard sale woe's - my house is look pretty darn de-cluttered  just don't open the garage!

voraciousreader

Okay. Guess who is clearing her closet of shoes this weekend? My walking companion of umpteen years has been complaining for years that her foot hurts. Today I took her to the orthopedic shoe store and she found out her right foot measure a 7, while her left foot is an 8. And she is also a wide!!!! She was wearing size 7. No wonder her feet hurt!!!! She will be cleaning out her closet this weekend... And when the pain subsides, she will begin the process of getting comfortable shoes that fit!!!!!!! Then we can walk further!!

Heidihill

Update: the kids collected $700 to donate to Japan!!

Wonderland

Wow Heidi! Congratulations to the kids! What a great thing they have done.

o2b: did you have your yard sale?

Today has been cloudy, cold, rainy, (now stormy). I have been taking advantage of staying inside doing alittle more cleaning out. DD was going to go back to college today. Instead she decided to stay until tomorrow because she took a break from studying and starting going through her room and clothes! Even my dh go into it (that's a miracle ). We just got back from the Goodwill store where we dropped off 3 bags of clothes, some books, 2 old computers, 1 old printer, and 1 old monitor. A stack of old, old paperwork not needed anymore is in the recycling bin. This feels really good!

suzwes

That is terrific Heidi.  What a great idea they had.

It feels so good to drop stuff off to goodwill or get rid of stuff at a garage sale.  Anxious to hear if o2b had her garage sale and how she did.

We sold three used cell phones and our first digital camera on ebay yesterday.  YEAH!  I haven't gotten much else done since we spend all day yesterday buying a car (they want more paperwork than buying a house!)

Today is so beautiful so I had to get out and take care of some doggy litter in the yard.  Now I'm inside with the house open to air and I'm going to get busy with decluttering my kitchen yet again!!

o2bhealthy

Yard sale yesterday was wet and freezing but yet we still had people come by to dig through our garage, we sold probably $80 worth of stuff. 

Today is MUCH better!  Sun is shining!   Clouds are gone...my dad brought over cool "guy stuff" (power tools, camping gear, electronics) and made a about $250, my boss has raked in almost $100 and DH & I are just under $200 so overall not a bad haul for two days and we still have alot more stuff to sale

Wonderland

o2b: Great results! Hope your arm didn't suffer.

o2bhealthy

Whew!  Yard sale done...

18 boxes left over for the Womens Shelter (clothes) habit for humanity thrift store (household items) and House of Ruth (toys and stuffed animals).  I hope to not have to do that again for another 10 years

Heidihill

Congratulations, o2b! It makes me tired just thinking of all the work you've done. And after all you've been through in the past two years. You deserve a BREAK!!! (and a medal or two)

Meece

When DH and I got married I had a garage sale to get rid of the duplicate items from joing two households.  We had two customers!  So four pickup loads of stuff went to Goodwill.  Good for them, bad for me.  DH says he will pay me not to have a yard sale but I still am boxing stuff up for either scenario, sale or thrift.

GramE

Good Morning:   I just found this thread and thought I would add this link:

http://www.flylady.net/pages/begin_babysteps.asp

It helped a lot when I got ready to downsize and sell my house after 33 years.   With the help of a 14 year old neighbor boy the attic got cleaned out nicely - he did the lifting and lugging.   His parents and I agreed on $5 an hour wages - he was delighted to make some money and I was delighted to have a helper after school and on weekends.   He also got first pick of my discards, with the approval of his parents.    It was a win win situation.

Garage and yard sales are great if you advertise it in advance and have directional signs posted in key spots, like intersections.   I found that they are less successful at the end of the month when cash runs low for many.  

As of now, I am in a one bedroom apartment with a sun room 4 years after selling my house and then moving to a 2 bedroom apartment.   I am a widow, no pets, so it was probably easier for me than those with DH and pets.    Good luck.     Nancy 

o2bhealthy

My DH posted the yard sale info on Craigslist with pictures which I think was the main reason for our success.  We are also in a great location, just two blocks off a main intersection so signage was easy to put up.    I always find it best to invite neighbors or local friends to participate because often one family does not have enough variety or quantity to draw the big crowds on their own.   Organization and neatly laid out tables is also a plus.  In my early years my mom would have yard sales when $ was tight just to pay bill so we got really good at them...

Meece

I went into my sewing room last night and pulled out a box of paperwork, pay stubs, timecards, FSA stuff.  I went through all of it and got it filed this morning.  I have an empty box!   Whooppeee!!!!

o2bhealthy

I finally put away the two bins of  'keeper' clothes...I couldn't find anything to wear and my DH was tired of tripping over piles of clothes.  What a difference in my closet, I actually have room for new clothes.  What's the rule... for every four items we get rid of we can buy one replacement item 

voraciousreader

Has any one gotten to the kitchen yet?  Oh, those refrigerator bins...Does anyone have a tip to keep the muck out of the bins and vegetables fresh?  HELPPPPPP!

Meece

I use the cushy non-slip matting cut to the size of the bottom of the bins.  It allows some air to circulate around the vegies.  We also try to clean out the bins BEFORE we head to the grocery store to bring more home.

Dilly

You ladies have inspired me, and encouraged me to keep at decluttering, winnowing and sifting. Thank you all for the tips and hints!  I went through 6 boxes of old mostly tax-related paperwork, reduced it to one, then took 140# (5 boxes) of sensitive-info paper to a document shredding business in town. Cost $33 by weight, but I don't have any grandkids to do the work so it was worth it. 

voraciousreader

I clean my bins too before shopping. I've tried that rubbery mat. No good. Turns black with mold. I have a fairly new fridge with humidity control, but I don't think the bins know that.