Pre Xmas De-cluttering Pledge support requested

Embarrassing today I was at a community Christmas party and discovered I had taken home the decorations, last year, for safekeeping. I searched looked in the attic but couldn't find them!
I was forgiven, but really! Have I chucked them out?
I really must go through a room at a time systematically and chuck what I don't need or can't remember why I'm keeping and label other "treasures"
Too late for this year. I sympathise ^MissA about the doorstep gift.
A neighbour is clearing out and she keeps offering stuff to the community shop. Has she seen the amount of stuff already donated! How can we keep being polite.

Too many other distractions now. I think the New Year resolution to start again is a good idea. Perhaps selling off unwanted gifts like a dinner service! No doubt there was something in the box with the plates that the friend actually wanted ?

I’m afraid I started with great enthusiasm, but lugging stuff around trying to find a charity to take it, is not something I’ve got the time or enthusiasm for at this time of year.

I think in future, I’ll wait for someone to pop one of those bags through the letterbox.

That sounds like a good plan.

We'd better keep a thread going then, so we can chart our progress, even if we're flagging now; its understandable at this time of year.

My new year's resolutions will include figuring out how to use ebay and selling off stuff that I am throwing out. As I've said before, charity shops are not a 'thing' in Germany. There are car boot type sales which they call flea markets, but they aren't so popular either any more.

It's so difficult to get rid of stuff.

Putting it out in the road with a note is probably a punishable offense and, anyway, nobody comes past our house.

So, as from 1 Jan, it will be throw one out, sell one off per day.

Yes. I've decided that's what I'll do.

I have rooms half painted, a bookshelf half emptied, glitter everywhere from the dreaded Christmas decs and washing drying all over the place, but I've been really busy with work, and laziness..

Will try to keep going until Christmas Eve. Can't give up now!

MissA, re your post a few weeks ago, I'm flagging too now!

We could carry this thread on until we're all clutter free and minimalist. (As if!)

I still haven't listed my Christmas twig; I'm probably too late for this year.

I came home the other day to a big bag for life on my doorstep, containing half a dinner service and some other odd bits of crockery.

My neighbours friend had bought it for me at an auction, thinking I could probably do with it!

The message was that if I didn't want it I could take it to a charity shop!
I wasn't very happy.

Is it too late to jump aboard? I have been procrastinating about going through old boxes and bins of things belonging to my grandparents, parents, and sons. My dad just died in August and I've been pretty sad, lethargic and avoidant about getting it done.

Things have been in partial disarray for a bit. Exacerbated by 1) moving things around for painting and a carpet install prior to my son's wedding, 2) the arrival of boxes from Dad's, and 3) the invasion of my home by some unwanted insect pests which required me to empty and vacuum out all drawers and boxes, my loft is FULL of items that I need to sort, file, toss, re-box and/or return to their places.

If too late to the party, I could start a "De-Clutter For the New Year" thread.

Anything that's a bit too heavy to lug around (like small furniture) I just put outside with a note. Somebody always takes it. I'm quite surprised at what people will take e.g. some old pictures and a very old hallway rug!

I always take things to charity shops at this time of year, especially kids clothes and toys. My friend had lots of kids (6) and was always broke when they were young. She used to rely on charity shop finds for most of her Christmas shopping!

I'll try and catch up?

15Joyfulnanna it was finding moths had eaten their way through some of my best clothes that made me realise i had to take action.
Yes you can keep treasures, carefully in sealed bags, but a thinned out wardrobe is much easier to care for.

Some of my old clothes hold memories and I just can't get rid of them. I find it difficult to give things away that I've paid good money for. But I'm going to try this challenge.

I usually buy more clutter with any money I make.

I have one more of my big hall cupboards to clear out; I have 4, which are all big enough to walk into, so you can imagine the amount of stuff stored in them.

MissA you get the prize! I can't imagine making money on anything I don't want. Silly I know because someone else may want it.
I did mange to throw out 2 broken toys today.
I asked in Oxfam what their policy is and was told: We'll take a few books at a time but not a whole library. We'll take clothes but only things you would give to a friend.
As for old textiles: Yes they do have a place to send them but they used to have to pay for them to be collected!
And no electricals at all.
I ended up buying a diary and a birthday card.

My eBay item finally sold (£10) so I ought to think about listing my Christmas twig now.

I can't face it tonight though; the plan is to do it on Tuesday.

Sorted out the GC's toy box today. They've grown out of so much and I hope the charity shop will want their stuff.

I am sure that our local Red Cross shop sells clothes unfit for selling to the ragman (he probably has a pc name now).

They also send bags and bags of books for pulping
Books! - with stories, information in their pages

I am sad to hear sara that the charity shops aren't accepting donations.
It has always been a bit like that. When I worked at Oxfam the sorters were very fussy IMO and would chuck out any clothes which weren't perfect.

When our DC were small I bought lots of their stuff at jumble sales. A bag of clothes for 50p etc. No jumble sales any more.

What was most shocking was when I was helping at a volunteer centre collecting for Bosnia in the 1990s
The warehouse walls were stacked roof high with donations and we were told we had to reject anything with a button missing or crumpled! and we weren't allowed to rescue things either

Oxfam will take textiles to be sold for recycling to make carseat covers, I'm told. The charity receives some money for them. Waste Savers I think it's called.

What happens to books at the book bank Nana05?

You have all made brilliant progress. I've not but there are still a few weeks until Christmas. 100 items threexnanny !!

My carrier bags finally went to the charity shop today!

I've had a count up and think I've got rid of about 100 items since I started this including a couple of big items ie suitcase and old sewing machine. Glad I kept a record as you'd never know much has gone! Perhaps it will look better when the Christmas gifts have gone!!

Well they all seemed very well staffed!

Lack of volunteers to sort it?