Not quite a horder - decluttering

Wren, maybe you could make a book for each grandchild, and give it to them one day.    

Has anyone had experience with using a file cabinet or drawer in which all those household papers go? I know it is recommended yet my efforts in the (distant) past were feeble. I always accumulate a stack of mail, to-do's, reading matter and receipts next to my place at the table, all of which might be able to be pitched or filed. I worry that once an item is filed, I won,t see it and then it will go neglected. ...but then, some of that stuff is neglected anyway. Our table is used as our desk as well as a dining table, so that area needs a major system if we plan to keep up the multi-purpose thing there.

I loved the talk about valuing our stuff regardless of its worth to others, it making me think differently, and I think, more clearly. Photo box vs album is a great idea, too.

I worked for someone who had a folder called "A Safe Place". It worked well for her and pretty well for me when I had an office. I don't seem to need it as much now that I'm retired. I would like to get DH to make a decision about junk mail and deal with it. He leaves solicitations sitting on the desk for ages. Perhaps he can't decide if he's going to donate or not. We have places we donate to and can't really afford to add any. Being retired and living on Social Security, I think we need to pass the baton on to people who can increase their incomes.

No I wouldn't pass up good clothes for the future. Kids clothes are really expensive now. And they grow so fast! My niece thought you should be able to rent 'dress up get your photo done clothes' because they're not good for every day and will be outgrown the next year. Perhaps a photographer could stock them.

I got some good news today. My neighbor around the corner is having a Stoop Sale (Brooklyn-ese for Garage Sale) this Saturday. She asked me to join in. It gives me just enough time to get some items together, but not enough time to procrastinate or agonize over decisions. I'm pricing stuff to move so I have nothing to move back into my apartment.

Do people still use/buy cookbooks or does everyone have a kitchen iPad or computer? I'm stuck in cookbook world but wonder if I'm the only one. I really want to pare that down.

I love to read recipes and I have 3 or 4 cookbooks that I use regularly - in addition to my personal double recipe box. And in addition to things I print off the web. I did give away 20 cook books but still have more than 15 on the shelf. They are either family collections or from special places (like Recipes of Old Hawaii or Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places or an old Spice Islands cookbook. I know most of my friends still use cookbooks, as do my friends on the "dinner thread". My DIL still uses real cookbooks, probably the only thing she doesn't do electronically. My downfall is all the recipes I clip out of newspapers & magazines and plan to try. I put them in an old FedEx envelope and once a year go through & toss most of them.

The saddest part about my love for recipes is I live alone w/no family close by, so I rarely cook large meals anymore. Inventive, yes - more than 2 courses per meal, no. I just can't eat that much. About once a week I take a meal to a neighborhood shut in, but she doesn't eat much anymore either. One rotissarie chicken will provide enough for a variety of meals for a full week.

MameMe--I have a basket near my computer where I put household papers as they come in. Bills, notices, things that need some sort of action or that I want to do something with. It's right out in plain sight. I try to go through it weekly, with a goal of dealing with each piece and then tossing it in the trash. Things I want to read I put a date on when I put it in the pile. When I come across something more than a month old that I haven't read yet I toss it. It works reasonably well, I can't stand seeing the basket overly full so it motivates me to clean it out, and the basket keeps the papers contained and not flying all over the place. From time to time I need a letter or bill or such, and I know it's in the basket, so it's easy to find. I used to have a file drawer with household papers filed in it. Tax forms, receipts for appliances, etc.Last summer I cleaned out that file cabinet. Out of 1 full drawer I kept about 6 items, all from when I bought the house and I'm keeping for sentimental value. The rest I had never looked at again, never needed, never missed. I had to take the vacuum cleaner to the drawers to clean up the collected dust. Now I keep all my tax forms and receipts digitally.

Mrs. M--I like the color coding system idea! The one greatest thing I ever did for myself was sign up with a bill paying service. I have a billing address where bills are sent, it also can be set up to take online bills. I set the payment rules for each payee, and set e-mail notices forwhen the bill is due but hasn't come in, when a bill is more than a certain amount, when payment is sent, individually set for each payee. I get a weekly summary e-mail listing all the activity. I can print reports, I can look up the invoices, look at payment history, do all sorts of info management. I used to have problems with missing bills and ending up with fees for late payments and such, now I never miss a payment unless something really funky happens. It costs me about $11 a month.

Zills--nice work!

Agatha--I have a Kindle with a recipe app, a tablet with a recipe app, and a lap top with a recipe app. When I cook I open the cupboard door where all the cookbooks and magazines and cut out and hand written recipes are! I need to pare that down as well. I have a whole shelf of cookbooks that I haven't opened in months, if not a year or more. Each bought for one particular recipe. I need to put those recipes out and toss the books. But it's so hard to throw away a book!Some I used all the time, those I will never get rid of, even the one that I've used since I moved out on my own and is falling apart. Sentimental value mostly, but worth the space to keep.

Friend decluttering update- I said goodbye to my friend who is moving last night and took about 10 boxes of books, CDs and the like to take to my thrift shop today. I have been talking to her about all the various ways to get rid of stuff. She has been rocking some yard sale activity, took things to her local thrift shop (they did not want books), did Craigs list and more. Contributing to the greater de-cluttering momentum in the world. We were talking about despite continuously both doing this for years, you still find out how much you have when you have to renovate or move. Americans just have TMS (too much stuff), but we are known to be a consumer society.

Divine- I have been that person in the past. I now try to go in when I need one thing and never get a cart. It only results in buying stuff you don't need.

Unless I am going to Sam's Club, where I DO get a cart but limit how often I go because it is too easy to buy too much. I go with a very specific list! Mostly consumables but there are always things that tempt you.

I got the books over to the thrift shop today! Got a bag of my own clothing donations dropped off at the same time. They will be flush with books there for awhile. My friend has lived here 30 years and realized she purged about 30 years worth of books with this donation!

The dishwasher is loaded and now Code Black. ;o))

Perhaps I'm lucky that I don't really enjoy shopping. I used to when I was younger, but now it just seems like a chore. I'm funny-shaped enough that ordering online is probably more hassle than it's worth. I think I'm getting to the point where I'll buy multiples if I like something enough. Pants that fit - buy 2 colors and I'll be done.

Vargadoll, I feel the same way. Back in the day I could open and close down the mall in a day. Browse the whole day from one end to the other and back again. Now I avoid shopping as much as possible. A trip to the grocery store once a week and I'm DONE.

Vargadoll and Mustlovepoodles: What happens to us post BC dx where shopping is no longer fun? So many of us feel the same way. BeforeI shopped all the time. Mindless looking, seeing what’s new or on sale.

Now I rarely go. I never thought of de cluttered as a state of being to hope for!

My girls keep asking if I’m sick again.

Heading to the thrift store to drop off a load of junk now! Feeling good about the less is more!

I mainly shopped for clothes. At one point I had over 300 pairs of shoes. When we moved to the house we are in now my shoes were a Suburban load! My DH made a picture of the 8 passenger suv with the middle and back seats down and it was top to bottom back to front shoes...what an eye opener that was!

I hope I can see a difference when i get back from vacation. I haven't bought any suveniors. Told my sister not to get any for my kids. I would like a wind chime. My son wants paddle board lessons. That would last a lifetime