Decluttering

My advice is to start by clearing out a cupboard or other receptacle. Then you have somewhere to put things when you move onto the next thing.

My Grand Declutter started with a sideboard, which I emptied, moved out of the dining room into the hallway, and then started on its twin, which ended up going out. When I cleared out other areas I had somewhere to put the surviving items, which made things so much easier. If you fill the newly emptied cupboard, empty another one, and so on as you move from area to area.

Finally started on the loft.
No I havent finished everything else, but it is all progress.

I have had a clear out about every 10 years, but want to do a bigger one this time.

Not sure how to start in earnest.

I considered, just starting. But think i would start on smaller stuff, which want give me much motivation.
2nd thought, start at either end, but really it is the middle which never seems to get much of a look in.
3rd idea - start with some obvious throw out bits, but again not much motivation.
4th idea - start by putting some stuff under the eaves. Maybe, but have done a bit of that before.
5th idea, put everything that I definitely want to keep to one end, and see what i have left.. Am thinking I may go with this idea. Things would start to look clearer, in more ways than one, almost immediately.

Meanwhile, on my household systems thread, I have asked for ideas on how to better store some items.
Sadly, even at my age, I would never make Housekeeper of the Year.

the reason I have so much is partly cos both my in-laws & my mum would turn up with bags of their cast -offs & say "you can always take it to the charity shop if you don't want it" so I am trying not to repeat the cycle.
I know exactly what you mean. My mum was hilarious sometimes. Once she brought odd rolls of wallpaper (I didn’t even have children to draw on the back) a bundle of plastic chopsticks and a smoked glass saucepan that was impossible to clean. She could throw nothing away - probably because of a wartime childhood.

My lot just say no to my offerings. I always ask before bringing bags of unwanted miscellany to their doors, though - my mum just turned up with a proud smile and a juggernaut full of ‘stuff’.

FishandChips15

I had a spare working fan and donated it to the local animal rescue. The pens get really hot in the Summer.

That's my way of thinking, too.
My neighbour drives though, and is out and about.

If I had taken the fans off her, I'd be the one with them cluttering up my flat, though, and I just can't deal with my own stuff these days.

Doodledog

That blue thing at the back? Do you really want it badly enough to keep it? If you haven’t used it for months, put it in the charity box.

No, there is no room for sentiment I’m afraid. A lot of what I chucked was from when I did a lot of family cooking. It was hard, but I accepted that I rarely do that now, and passed the largest pots on to free up space.

I'll have you know that blue thing at the back is a le Creuset pot; the lid broke but it's still very useful. I made Dauphinoise potatoes in it at the weekend (tinfoil for a lid).

Why did I keep all those jars? I don't make much jam now. They've gone out.

As for a jar of pickled onions at the back of the store cupboard, they were vintage. Recycled.

The charity shop wanted cookery books today!
They may go on to their buyer or be shredded but I have seen at least one of them for sale online for £20.

I had a spare working fan and donated it to the local animal rescue. The pens get really hot in the Summer.

Actually this time round I've had four really nice people turn up to take Freecycle stuff, three of them very promptly & with no faff arranging times.
I do try to give things to the boys & their families, (those fans for example I would've) but the reason I have so much is partly cos both my in-laws & my mum would turn up with bags of their cast -offs & say "you can always take it to the charity shop if you don't want it" so I am trying not to repeat the cycle.

My neighbour happily went and threw 2 almost brand new fans away at the end of the summer.
The tower types, but she said she had nowhere to store them, so they had to go.

I still keep thinking they'd have done someone a turn.

I was tempted to take them and put them on free cycle or somewhere, but people are a pain, generally, even when they're being given something for nothing.

I was working in our charity shop yesterday. I was sooooo tempted to post a picture of all the bric-à-brac that went into the skip because once again we have no more room.
But then I thought, no! There’ll probably be a collector on here who would say no, 😥 I want one of those, can you post it 😂

I've so far taken three bags of books to the charity shop. I have got rid off six years worth of old diaries and shredded the contents as much of it was personal appointments. I'm now left with one diary for this year. Ive bought 3 folders and have cleared out and shredded loads of old paperwork and medical letters, keeping the important ones and filing away in the new folders. This is also an effort to make things easier for my family in future. I cannot believe the mountains of paperwork I had, some of it pre- Pandemic. It was so strange, like looking at another life.

Well, seeing as your woks have gone, I shall bin my large, worthless bowls. (Except I have some bunting in one of those, that might come in handy )

I'll have to wait for a tall visitor, because I can't reach up there.

It used to rile me at work.

"The iron's packed up, we'll need to get a new one".

"It's OK, we've a stash of working irons that we put away, just in case".

Oh, I can't get riled by other people's clutter😂. That would be wrong on so many levels.

I have a shiny new wok now, hanging smartly on the back of the door. I also have a lid for it though, which is wok-sized. For every yin there is a yang, I suppose.

It's strange, because I get really riled by people keeping "spare irons", for example, in case something goes wrong with their newer one.

I just struggle to put stuff in the bin unless it's broken. My DH is worse, I don't know if he would turn into a pathological hoarder if he lived alone. EG he'll put stuff near the bin for me to put in (wrappers, socks with holes) he will never eat / use the last in a pack. He won't let me throw out magazines (luckily we don't buy many). If something's broken he'll take it out of my hands & put it in the garage "to mend" which he doesn't do.
But I think it's affected me too. I'm OK with the tip though. We'd be fine with 3 weekly bin collections!

Miss A thank you🏆🤣

DH is painting all the woodwork in the hall,stairs and landing so I am banished to the downstairs.I am going to sort through the sideboard in the dining room today then one room will be completely sorted🤞🏻

I got rid of two old woks yesterday. They were hanging on the back of a door in the kitchen, and were moved when I was having the handle changed, and I was embarrassed at the state of them. One was rusted and the other scratched. Out they went.

On top of my kitchen cabinets I have 2 bowls.
One cherry red, one cream.

Not worth a bean, and I think I've used one of them, once, about 20 years ago.

If they go, it will be in the bin, no charity shops, no collections.
Bin!!!
If I get rid of those 2, what will someone get rid of from their stuff?

By the way, I think Susan is edging forward to take the last two weeks declutterer prize - which, this week is.... nothing!!!

If you feel ok with the idea, it's pretty good to just have a garage sale.

Set your stuff out, sell it for pennies, or give it, even.

A few people around here started doing that during covid - I thought id never make to work under the weight of all the books I found and gave 50p for!

That blue thing at the back? Do you really want it badly enough to keep it? If you haven’t used it for months, put it in the charity box.

No, there is no room for sentiment I’m afraid. A lot of what I chucked was from when I did a lot of family cooking. It was hard, but I accepted that I rarely do that now, and passed the largest pots on to free up space.

and do let us know if we can help at all?
Just tell me what I don't really need 😀
It's no good keeping things for sentimental reasons, is it.

Thanks. I do get tired but this today is from emptying cupboards and moving it.
Now I've nodded off in front of the TV I probably won't sleep when I go to bed.
Still more to go!
Off to M&S tomorrow for some ready meals.

Can you sleep, or is it that ‘batteries out’ tiredness? I have pernicious anaemia and when my injection is due I feel like that. I can’t sleep but am shattered. That’s when I’m on here at all hours🙄.

Either way, take it easy while you need to, and do let us know if we can help at all?

I'm just so tired!