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Anyone else on a New Year decluttering mission?
Thought it would be good to start a thread for those of us who are having a major clear out for the New Year!
We need to reclaim our spare room so that's a major project but step one is underway, someone is hopefully collecting a dresser unit which I freecycled and we have an Ikea bag full of rubbish. I also cleared a carrier bag out of clothes from my room yesterday, and that was just two drawers, so plenty more to come.
Anyone up for progress reports?
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I am constantly attempting to declutter because of downsizing eventually. I have a aload of CDs that I want to put on music magpie but don't really haev the motivation which is my biggest problem. I'm going to take the tree down today possibly and that will free up a lot of room.
I really need to do something about our house, every room is turning into a dumping ground! We're probably having a new boiler in the new year so will have to empty part of the loft which won't help though.
I went on a mass declutter session pre-Xmas and cleared 3 car loads from the house - down to the tip mostly! I also then decluttered the car which always seems to be full of crap. We do however have lots of "trinkets" on a shelf in the lounge i'd love to throw out - snow globes from our wedding and wedding certificate holders etc - not sure if I can legimitately remove them as they were gifts!? Plus a whole heap of DVDs/CDs too which we never watch!
I now am desperate to declutter the Xmas tree, and the decs and then the shed, but it's so cold i'm being put off.
I am also in dire need of a wardrobe declutter - have ordered so much in the sales, and no idea where it will live when it arrives, plus we have shoes coming out of everywhere too - mainly H's not mine (mine are "hidden"). Plus every year since I met H, he has gone up a clothes size so out wardrobes are full of suits - 32" waist, 34", 36" and now a 38"!
I also have a huge cupboard on top of the wardrobe full of handbags, which I just can't bring myself to throw out - some i've not used in years!! I don't know what is wrong with me!
Clothes went to the charity shop yesterday. Surprisingly for me I am ready to get the tree down-normally leave them to the very last day. Im also planning on quitting cakes and chocolate for January (my equivalent of the cancer research dri-Athlon as I don't really drink that much) so am getting rid of all offending items by eating them (but don't think that counts!!)
We are. Alex went to my MIL's yesterday morning and will be back at lunchtime today. So far we've done the kitchen and made loads of space in the cupboards meaning things no longer fall down as you open them! We've done the rest of downstairs and 3/4 bedrooms. The last bedroom is our office/dumping ground so expecting that to take a while. After that we have the loft and we're done. The best part for me was finding £70 birthday money from last year, it's my birthday on Monday so it's been there almost a year!
I've also sent 8 pairs of shoes to the recycling plant!
I took the tree and decs down yesterday, cleared the boys rooms and put the new toys away and dumped the old toys. I have already sorted out my clothes and h has done his, need to do L and Is, need to sort my shoes.
We are really aiming for a garage conversion and extension to the back of the house this year (fingers xd) which will be a bigger kitchen and a playroom and utility room so there will be mass de cluttering then!
I did a bit of a declutter before Christmas. I cleared out baby cups we won't need again, some other kitchen stuff which we never used.
If they're wedding presents but you don't like them, get rid of them. (Unless they're from someone who will notice they've gone).
We both need to do some paper filing as we're both guilty of stacking it all up but not actually filing it away.
I wanted to do our office/spare bedroom a couple of weeks ago but my H was squirrelling away Christmas presents in there so I had to stop!
I had a pre Christmas decluttering! Think I might have to do a bit more now though with all the stuff the children got for Christmas
I am always up for decluttering! I made my H sort his wardobe out and I have a ton of stuff thats mostly immaculate and hardly worn to ebay. This year my aim is to get the house straight and get some money made!
I'll need to do a massive declutter in the next few weeks, the first place being the cupboard under the stairs so I'm able to store the double buggy away.
Sounds like lots of us will be busy having a clear out, I know I always find it useful to have a bit of encouragement from others here to keep me going. I'm going to drink my cup of tea then I might pop upstairs and do another few drawers whilst the boys are engrossed in a digger DVD.
Yep I've tackled toys today and some of the kitchen - going through the tupperware type lunch box draw and binning loads that aren't great or have missing lids etc. Also threw out lods of tea towels etc (my mum bought me new ones for xmas - gee thanks!).
Got a bin liner of clothes for Cash4Clothes too.
I had a fab day of decluttering yesterday, 7 bags of clothes to go to the recycling bin and our dresser unit is being collected this morning. Not sure what I'll get done today but may try to sort some of the enormous amount of cardboard that's in the kitchen and hallway as well as getting the clothes to the recycling.
7 bags of clothes OMG Margot! Kids or adults?
All mine 1stbaby, 7 carrier bags full! I was totally ruthless and just chucked everything that I hadn't worn for ages or was never likely to wear again.
Wow, I'm impressed at 7 bags of clothes. I did a similar declutter last year - got rid of loads of stuff. Actually had space in the wardrobe for a bit until I went shopping again!
Wow 7 bags of clothes - that is an awful lot!
I've just realised, i've got a "secret" suitcase full of clothes/shoes/bags etc that won't fit into our wardrobes - I placed it there when we moved in, H thinks it's an empty huge suitcase.. I am going to have to tackle it when he is at work.
Am just wondering whether now is a good time to be ebaying things though, with it being free listings, and people being skint post Xmas, and with everyone also decluttering.
Anyone finding things are still selling well?
Something flicked in me today and I have a massive decluttering urge. On the face of it our house is tidy, but open most cupboards or chests or our storeroom and you're lucky to get out alive! I want to sell enough to buy bunk beds for the kids to give them more space in their room, and chuck stuff
We know needs chucking. Im actually really looking forward to starting tomorrow
I am regularly sorting through my wardrobe and ebaying items. 2013 I am aiming not to buy as much as it just ends up not being worn and sold on for a pittance, so a total waste of money. I have plenty that I can wear for most occasions now, so the aim is to not buy on a whim.
I'm off to buy some storage for G today, so that should get his room looking better immediately.
My rules for decluttering are -
if its broken and unfixable, dump it
if its broken and fixable, fix it immediately
if you haven't worn it this year - throw it, charity shop or clothes recycling
if it isn't beautiful or useful - why do you have it? If its sentimental then box it up to store. If it's none of the above - sell or chairty shop it
Have 4 boxes or carrier bags labelled up - CHARITY SHOP/RUBBISH/SELL/STORE - the store one is you keep it for a set period of time and if you don't miss it in that time, it goes.