June Decluttering

[fidgiegirl]

I think everyone must be out enjoying all the nice weather because some of the standard threads have yet to be started (unless I missed something . . . ) - decluttering being one of them.

Two biggies out of our lives this month - a huge box of burlap sacks I used to start a sheet mulched garden bed (probably 25 coffee sacks) and a huge, heavy collapsible wire dog kennel to my friend for her rescue group/fostering efforts (ooh, must write off . . . it was a nice kennel).

It feels good to accumulate a box of little junk, but it really makes a dent to get rid of the big stuff.

[Kat]

Sounds like you are off to a good start, fidgie! :)

[Float On]

I don't think I've decluttered a single thing this month yet. I did drop off a load of May's decluttering the other day. I'd been carrying it around in my durango for a few weeks because my favorite thrift shop to drop stuff off at has been hit by the flooding twice. They were just getting ready to re-open when they had to open the gates at the dam and that area got flooded again.
I'm hoping to declutter a bit this week while the boys are in SD and I've got some afternoon hours alone. We're also planning a big decluttering in the studio this month. It really needs cleaned!

[Mrs-M]

I had a moment (a few days ago) which lasted for but a flash, but during that time I fished-out a couple of old outfits along with a few tops from my closet, bagged them up, and parked them near the entry door in preparation of a planned thrift store run I plan on making in the next couple of days. I find even if I don't get into things with any great depth or seriousness, I still feel a sense of worth and progression as I tackle little things, as incremental as they may be.

Sending positive decluttering energy your way Fidgiegirl, Kat, and Float On!

[fidgiegirl]

I just kicked a** at work today on decluttering. I probably threw a third of what was in my closet. Also gave away a bunch of toys and balls and stuff to coworkers and took a few items to Goodwill. I thought about putting more in the Goodwill pile but frankly, no one would have wanted it, and since it's all destined to the landfill anyway, I pitched. Hard for me, but I did it.

Here is just a portion of what was going to the garbage. Sad, but liberating. I also did an entire one of those big industrial rolling garbage cans.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/5840314247_fc80f0a54d_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/5840314247/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/5840314247/) by fidgiegirl (http://www.flickr.com/people/7733846@N05/), on Flickr

[porcelain]

I just decluttered a BUNCH of stuff. Well it hasn't all been dropped off yet, but it's sitting by the door. My wedding dress, my high school letter jacket, some old coats and dresses, books, my stand mixer (this one was hard for me to give up but I just don't use it anymore), a few other items of clothing and odds and ends.

[fidgiegirl]

Go, porcelain!! You really faced some hard ones!:+1:

[Kat]

Good job, guys!
Porcelain, I hope to be able to part with my wedding dress someday. I'm just not there yet! Good for you, though! You did awesome!!!!

[Mrs.B]

continue to clean out the closet and drawers, trying to decide what I need to keep from the SW now that I'm back living in the NW???
Had to buy a new washer this past week (ouch) old washer went with delivery guys (thank you). Next big project is my linen closet. I'm afraid I havre some pretty ugly curtains that can go somewhere else!!! Then it's the closet under the stairs, during our return move to the NW we sort of stuffed things under the stairs we didn't know where else to put, some of it is holiday decor, but I'm not sure about the rest! Wish me luck!!

[jania]

I tackled the "junk drawer" yesterday. It's a drawer in my kitchen when all sorts of things go, some for convenience, like a screw driver and some because I just don't know where else to put them, like those little packs of floral food. I took everything out of the drawer first and then decided what should go back and what really had homes elsewhere. Cleaning out the drawer led me to my tool box and I ended up cleaning that out as well. Why I had 15 screw drivers is beyond me but those extras I placed in my donation-box-in-progress.

[Gina]

Nice work everyone. Wish I could get back into decluttering mode. I seem to go in phases and am 'out' now. Last year/early this year, over about 6 months I took literally carloads of stuff to goodwill plus lots and lots went into trash. Also want to have a yard sale, but haven't yet. I should put a deadline on that. If not by the end of summer, all the saved valuable items ('valuable' -ha,ha) need to go to goodwill too.

I have hoarding tendencies. The good thing is I have not brought much new into the house to fill the void. I hopefully have finally learned that 'stuff' takes up space. And, if I dont bring it in, I won't have angst getting rid of it later.

[Lainey]

We are doing some serious decluttering at work. Got rid of 2 large and 3 small file cabinets, a small round table and a large wooden table.
All I have to say is, anyone in the business of making file cabinets, hanging files, 3-ring binders, etc. has got to be hurting because there's *alot* less paper files in offices these days.

[fidgiegirl]

I have GOT to get on selling my two bikes. That will be some big items out.

Lainey, funny you say that about the paper. I feel like we have MORE and MORE paper all the time at my work. I practically blow steam out my ears when I see the inane things people decide to print out.

[Gina]

All I have to say is, anyone in the business of making file cabinets, hanging files, 3-ring binders, etc. has got to be hurting because there's *alot* less paper files in offices these days.

The past few years I've seen so many of these in thrift stores and yard sales, some selling for as little as $1. I've picked up a few nice ones to use for storage in the garage since they are metal and nothing can chew their way through them. They are perfect for storing holiday ornaments out of the house.

[babr]

finally put my winter clothes away and summer out; and then it gets cool! felt really good as i didn't have enough to fill a blue tub; i remember having so many clothes; feelsso good to be simple

[Tradd]

I think everyone must be out enjoying all the nice weather because some of the standard threads have yet to be started (unless I missed something . . . ) - decluttering being one of them.



I'm to the point that I don't know what else I can get rid of! I did a major purge about a month ago, and I'm sure if I give it until later in the year, I'll come up with more stuff! :D

[Tradd]

Lainey, funny you say that about the paper. I feel like we have MORE and MORE paper all the time at my work. I practically blow steam out my ears when I see the inane things people decide to print out.

Yeah, here, too! I have one coworker that prints virtually anything that hits her email inbox! I'm in an industry, though, that can't go totally paperless, although I would LOVE it! In international shipping, a lot of documents still need to be "originals" (aka negotiable paper copies) and US Customs needs paper copies of some things, although a lot has gone digital.

[Zoebird]

we are getting nearly paperless at work -- i am trying to get our intake form as something that our online booking system sends to the client (via attachment) that they can then fill out and email to the practitioner, who can then import that into their notes. then, I think everything in our offices (save some marketing) would be paperless!

at home, i keep the home finances paperless, but i end up with so much paper in the house. DH loves paper. :) stuff-ness, he calls it. ;) true, though, there is something to writing things down, as opposed to typing them.

[frugalannie]

Just had to chime in here as you all are talking about paper decluttering. I've been doing the 100 items a month for several years now. Crazy, but it never lets up, and we truly do not "shop"; but, tend to keep whatever comes in. Finally, after years of decluttering and being very mindful of accepting freebies, we are seeing a major dent in our stuff.

The paper, though! My goodness! This is the one thing Hubsy has a terrible time with. He feels compelled to keep copies of things even though he is very techno-savvy, and we have no less than 30 paper boxes full of files in the attic dating back to before our marriage. Finally, I am saying they need to be sorted. We are planning a move to a smaller home and I'm not just moving boxes with no idea what is in them. Last week he went through one box and kept one meager file. All the rest went to recycling or the shred pile. Today, I have two boxes for him. I hope I can persuade him :). I guess, with him, old habits are hard to break; but, he is making progress.

[sumarie]

frugalannie, what is the 100 items per month? Is this paper items? I've been decluttering very conscientiously for the past year, and am interested to know if you're actually counting each piece of paper out, or what?

[cdttmm]

Everyone here on this thread has really inspired me! My biggest problem is not accepting when it is time to throw out the BIG stuff. So, I decided to use the 5-a-day approach and I am pleased to report that I have had 2 days of success! It will get harder now, as I will have to truly be on the lookout for things to throw away. I'm not counting things that I recycle or things that I would throw away regardless. I'm looking solely at the stuff that I've been clinging to...like the running shorts with an elastic waistband that is so past functional that there is no justifiable reason to keep them! :|( In the trash they went, along with two small rugs that were well beyond their useful life, a broken mass-produced sculpture that I was convinced I would one day repair (even though I had no intention of actually keeping it), a set of dog booties that was missing a bootie (seriously, I'm going to find that bootie in the woods one day?). So thank you to everyone here for inspiring me. I'm going to try to keep this up through the end of June. If I'm successful it means I will have sent 25 items to the landfill, but they will be 25 items that were destined for the landfill regardless, they were simply using my home as a lengthy way-station! :~)