Decluttering

MissAdventure

You put up a couple if pictures before, and it looked delightful! .
Genuinely quaint, like a magical shop full of goodies.

That was the good bits! To explain why I struggle to give things to charity or throw them out. Underneath things like that are the piles of homeless stuff. I still have the Christmas tree up because I struggle to get it into the loft and, having got it out of the loft two years ago fir the first time in years couldn’t face taking it back up there again. What I don’t understand is why it no longer fits in the box it came in . I’ve just swept up the leaves in the back garden and now I’m sitting looking at some of the unpacking. Before I went away the time before last I had a blocked sewage pipe and couldn’t do anything for several days ( it resulted in an awful row with my neighbours which made me ill as I hate arguments) and the last time I had a steroid injection and needed to rest my leg for a few days. I think this is all down to being away from home a lot. I leave the house up there neatly tidy and spotless and come back to chaos, which exhausts me.

Some of our stuff came from MIL's house and I don't feel it's my place to get rid of it. The DC might want some but 'not yet' apparently. Sometimes I feel as if I'm running a storage facility.

Same here. I have my ex’s stuff and his parents things. He keeps saying he doesn’t have time to go through it but I think it’s because neither of us have moved on totally.

I always think things "might do someone a turn".

The big wicker basket i merged into a small plastic box was full of nails, screws, rawlplugs and things of that sort. Some in smaller containers within a container.

I think I'm imagining all screws of the same type in their own neat little box, and so on.

The point being, if i need a nail now, I'll have to root through the new plastic container until I find one.
Not the end of the world, very simple, and may take 5 or 6 minutes.
Better than hours wasted and feeling despair at the mess I've got into.

Allira

Some of our stuff came from MIL's house and I don't feel it's my place to get rid of it. The DC might want some but 'not yet' apparently. Sometimes I feel as if I'm running a storage facility.

Yes, I feel that sometimes, too. My mum keeps giving me things for the children that they don't want. I don't see them (the children) very often, so my hall table has pairs of curtains and hardback books, plus assorted other crap 'gifts' that my mum has decluttered, cluttering up my gaff until I do. More than half the time the children say no anyway, but I have to go through the motions.

It really needs to stop. Perhaps family therapy would sort it😂

Dear MIL died many years ago, so it's not her fault!

Just remembered I have curtains in a box in the attic, must be brave and climb the ladder to investigate.

Books anyone?

I always think things "might do someone a turn".

Or "that might be worth a bob or two".

Usually it's the rubbish I've thrown out which is worth something on the Antiques Road Show.

I used to put things on ebay, but I've not done that for a few years now.
My stuff isn't worth anything, so, if i can't find anyone to give it to, it's going.
If it's in the bin, so be it.

My clutter isn’t in the shape of diamond rings or old masters. It’s old books (not first editions), clothes that don’t fit and things like towels and pillowcases that are ‘too good to throw away’.

The DC might want some, but ‘not yet’ apparently

Well, if they won’t take it ‘now’, then that’s the time to say, “It’s going to the charity shop/tip/ free cycle etc” then.

Make your mind up time.

I've heard that animal shelters like unwanted towels, Doodledog.

I know the feeling of being like a storage facility!
Both our mums died within 5 months of each other so we had 2 houses to sort.
My mum rented so I had 2 weeks to empty her 3 storey house.
I'm slowly but surely refinding floor space in our 2nd bedroom.
DD wants some of my mum's furniture but she's currently renting a studio flat so "not just yet."

I think my answer to my problem is to sort so I know exactly what I have. And then categorise and pack into labelled boxes.
Once it is all tidy it seems less of a problem. Inherited clutter from parents' houses has emotional ties which can take years to unknot. Only after 30 years can I now detach myself knowing that I can't pass this "stuff" onto my DDs it's just not fair.

I need to do the work now and get rid to welcoming recipients, charity shop or tip.. DDs would send to the tip first as they havent got the time nor space...and then they would feel the guilt that I have felt.
I have been lazy and to be honest that is what it is. I havent been pressured by time to empty a parents' house. We were lucky we could take our time before the house sold and looking at my stuff now it is more stuff I have bought since then more than my parents'stuff.
It is such a common problem. Is it from our chi,dhood when we didnt have much? Or fear of not having what we need in the future.

Whatever it is...it has got to be sorted and gone.

My mum used to dry out kitchen roll if it had only mopped up water. 😄
She could get at least 2 goes, sometimes 3, of a sheet of kitchen roll.
I've promised my children that they won't have to throw away any reused kitchen roll when I die!
Mum was a war baby, from a big family where money and resources were precious.

Doodledog

My clutter isn’t in the shape of diamond rings or old masters. It’s old books (not first editions), clothes that don’t fit and things like towels and pillowcases that are ‘too good to throw away’.

Dunelm takes bedding, there are usually large cages in the foyers.

I've heard that animal shelters like unwanted towels, Doodledog.
Yes, Animal Rescues take towels.

Currently doing the same..Friends have just moved to a caravan to live and it makes me reevaluate what we need. Furniture doesn't matter as we still live here. My children must be fed up with me sending photos of things. It's definitely inherited clutter that's hardest. I have actually sold loads on Vinted like old war envelopes and ww2 photos ( no family members on them) Only for the odd pound or two but makes me feel better as someone is interested in them so no landfill. Also bought vacuum packs and bedding boxes etc In addition I have bought clear boxes with lids on to make it easier to get things in and out of drawers a d cupboards and will be easier when we move one day..My own children's things are all in named boxes under the beds. Next task is the photos..more than 10k of grandchildren. I intend to get tech savvy and download them into little printed books..phew lol good luck everyone

Doodledog - a lot of what you say rings very true for me and I am often trying to offload things on to my family. I also find it very difficult to part with things that cost a lot and have been carefully looked after for many years even though not used now.
I've been very diligent over the last 4 weeks or so to bin, or set aside for charity, at least one thing every day, I now have a couple of bags ready for the charity shop and several things from the garage have gone directly to the rubbish or recycle bins. I have also given a few things to a local charity for them to give as raffle prizes so they've gone to a 'good home' but I now need to find a home for shelves full of unwanted crockery. The purge continues.

Just tidied up the utility room, not throwing much away but moving some plants and potting them up outside although it's like winter today!
More like rearranging the deckchairs than anything else, but I did have a good tidy and clean in there.

I take unwanted but nice clothing to thrift shop as I purge each season. Each Spring my community has a clean out day. We can put items on our porch and volunteers take them to charity or put in community shed for our yard sale. They'll even help you take out heavy things. This is a big help. The things I have trouble parting with are decor items. I enjoy decorating for every season and holiday. I don't want to give that up because I love the change in the look of my home each season/holiday. It's cheaper than buying new furniture!lol

Are you in Australia Camry1952?

I’d lost my mojo too. Disappointed in myself, but I’ve had that viral cold thing that’s left me very lackluster. A week in the sun has done me good, but I’ve DD2’s Little Dog here now and it’s difficult to do much with him around. He goes home tomorrow, so it’s gloves on, or should that be off to start again on Monday afternoon.

Just had a decorator/ friend of my son round to quote for doing my small study. I did a quick tidy up but hid some stuff in another room. Now I have got a few weeks to really sort out what to keep and what to throw out. I have enough stationery to last the next 20 years. It is all useable eg staples, pencils, paper clips, plastic sleeves, but nobody else has any use for them. I can’t bring myself to put perfectly good items in the bin and they are not the sort of thing charity shops want.

I now have my annual ant invasion in the kitchen so that has to be blitzed.

I had a bookcase full and was going to try and sell them. I tried to price them all on line but would've got nowhere near the price including packing and postage. I've taken them all to the local tip where they have a shop for recycling stuff along with all my cd's as I've nothing to play them on but I put all the ones I wanted on a pen drive to play in the car. I've an empty bookshelf now which will be dismantled and taken to the tip. It's a big relief as I've wanted to get rid for ages.

I love my cd’s. Along with my old vinyl they’re the story of my life. I’m beyond help I think.

MissAdventure

That's the best part of decluttering, if you can give it to someone who needs it.
I've not done any today, but i may get a burst of enthusiasm--and pigs might fly--

Even one thing out is a win.

Sounds just like me.