Getting rid of ‘stuff’

Gramaretto- no they don’t really sort it out at the ‘tip’ - I guess they had a load of stuff too. I’ve waited until the charity shops have accepted again or free cycled. We have loads of charity shops here so there is always one and some are less ‘upmarket’ than others so more likely to take stuff

I started off feeling a bit overwhelmed my my own ‘stuff ‘ and now I feel the weight of everyone else’s ! It’s frightening to think we all have so much ‘stuff’ and are trying to get rid of it for various reasons. How do we end up with it all? How can the planet sustain this? I don’t even feel like I am a person who has bought to excess - but clearly I have ! But I have had the same sofa’s for 35 years - recovered once ! If I had my life over again I would definitely be even more frugal or minimal .
My DD’s are much more discerning - their motto being
Refuse - any unwanted gifts or hand me downs
Re-use - up cycle, mend, re-purpose
Re-cycle - as we are all trying to do
Good luck !

Our charity shops, newly reopened, are not accepting anything at present.
I took a load to the tip (recycle centre) but they were not discriminating and put most of the stuff in the general skip.
There must be a job here for an entrepreneur to start a recycling service or tip shop.
Where there's muck there's brass (another Yorkshire saying)

In the meantime I am still living in an overstuffed house filled with a lifetime's stuff.

Flaxseed - that’s a shame . If they are ok the local food bank or a homeless charity may take them - our local
Food bank does but all are different . If you have free cycle try that - my friend took a load for her horses. Also the vets do take them around here - especially the towels . Local garage for rags ? Some charity shops do take bedding . Or on our local car park there is a clothes and textiles bin to put things like that in - and then the fabric can go for re cycling . I guess at the end of the day if they go to landfill they will rot down at least . I actually cut up some old cotton sheets and put them in my compost bin - will take a while but it’s a huge bin. Whoever buys the house will get the benefit of my composted sheets in a year or so ??

marymary62 I love that list!
However, re number 8, I have rung round all of my local animal homes and they have been inundated with bedding and towels and can’t see them needing anymore for a while! Anyone have any other ideas before they have to go onto the next dump run please?

Well everyone is hard at work ! No wonder the (very many) local charity shops are overflowing ! Great stuff everyone - lovely to hear all the different ( but strangely similar ) experiences and advice ! To summarise :
1) we should all have been culling those photos as we took them , or at least every year , then we wouldn’t have 30-40 years worth !
2) we should be ruthless with unwanted presents, broken items and things that are ‘neither use nor ornament ‘
3) unless we feel we could not afford to replace an item we don’t need to hang on to ‘spares’
4) adult children should be given an ultimatum of ‘take it or it goes ‘
5) give yourself plenty of time to de clutter a family home - a year is not too long !
6) if you have 6 of one thing choose your favourite and get rid of the rest
7) ditch any clothes not worn for 2 years - apart from ‘special occasion ‘ stuff maybe
8) animal charities will take old bed linen and towels
9) free cycle is also great for large items - it’s amazing what junk people are happy to have
10) gum tree is also good for selling - obviously e bay too.
11) be gentle with yourselves about sentimental stuff - sort and sort again . Do you love it ? Does it bring joy ? Have you room ?
And lastly - don’t stress too much - everyone seems in the end to have found it a cathartic experience and to have felt liberated !! Now, how many cake tins do I really need - square , round or oblong ?

I will be downsizing soon too, and started by tackling the loft a couple of months ago. There was 30 years worth of ‘stuff’ up there and it was hard work.
It look me a few hours per day for a week!
There were numerous trips to the dump and lots of stacking of boxes for charity, because at the time, the shops were closed.
My two spare bedrooms were full of my DD’s belongings from growing up and those rooms have taken me another week recently.
It feels relentless but also very satisfying.
I have been more ruthless as time passes and if I get a bit sentimental about something, I try to imagine someone else getting pleasure from it, or thinking of how the charity will benefit, which makes it easier.
Regarding DD’s bits, I sent them photos and asked if they wanted anything back and if they didn’t love it enough to take it, it went in the charity bag.
I have really struggled with photos (got rid of zoo animal, scenery or duplicate photos) but that’s still a work in progress. I have kept a few bits of DD’s drawings, certificates/reports from school etc.
My parents kept mine and I still like looking through them occasionally.
I like the idea of going back through ‘kept’ bits to see if I can become even more ruthless!
The bits I will struggle with are things like games and entertaining items as I am always the family ‘go to’ place for parties/Xmas etc. I enjoy entertaining but as any new house will be smaller, maybe it’s time to accept that won’t be the case.

Ekwa agreed. Modern houses are so compact they don't allow an inch of spare space for anything. This is really weird when you think show much shopping people have been doing for the last 30 years, dedicated shoppers seem to abound! I just wonder where on earth they are storing all this stuff they're buying. I avoid buying anything now that is not of actual use!

marymary, I don't know what sort of property you will be looking for but it sounds as though lots of storage possibilities in it are key because of your various equipment. Almost impossible in a modern house unless you have deep pockets. No built in cupboards or roomy garages any more it seems.

I digitised the slides I took, they took up a lot of room and were deteriorating plus we could rarely be bothered to set up the projector and screen. I bought a good scanner with a slide adapter and it took me years to do 3000 plus slides. It's a tedious job, which is why I'm not proposing to do DH's prints myself.
I'm going to follow some of the above good advice first and do some culling. I've told myself before that if I don't recognise a scene, it should go...unless it's an exceptional photo of course. I shall probably feel guilty and be apologising to DH all through the process!

Photos need to be carefully weeded I think. Over time you realise the holiday snaps and scenic views are mostly rubbish and the important ones are photos of family members.
Street views can be historically useful though if they show a place that has changed.
If you have a lot of photos to keep then scanning and digitalising is the way forward. Either buy a decent scanner if you have a lot or a smaller number can be done by a photography outlet. Negatives will scan much better than faded old photos so don't throw them out. They will produce a sparkling brand new image no matter how old they are.

Photos are tricky.
The ones that are "good" photos aren't necessarily the same ones as the ones that "speak".

I have some blurry ones and ones with heads partly chopped off that are SO full personality and love.
They really aren't fit for frames in my opinion.

We got rid of stuff before our last move, and we have never regretted it for a moment.

Our guidelines were that we kept anything that had great sentimental value for one of us,

disposed of things neither of us liked and a lot of things we never used.

Anything unnecessary, but replacable if we regretted parting with it went too.

Still sorting through family photos, though!

Photos take forever - it feels impossible to throw out the face of a loved one ! I have had very many, plus my dads lifetime of slides (and my own!)
My own family ie DH and DD’s - photos - most are in albums thankfully - about 12 - so will leave those and my 2 girls can decide what to do with them.
My husbands life : his mother carefully selected the best 20 or so photos from his life (and his two sisters) , mounted them beautifully in an album with some handwritten notes about where and when, got rid of everything else ! They were annoyed at the time not to ha e more but grateful now ! She just got rid of all the slides ?
My family - it’s taken an age but I’ve done what my mil did and selected the best photos , put them in lovely albums for my three brothers . I tried not to think too much about it just picked the ones I liked . No sceneries just people. I have written in the album though and a tip from a friend was don’t even worry to much about the timeline - just get the photos in an album.
With my dads and mums separate photos of them growing up (from the 1920’s) I have put them on one album together - it works beautifully.
To get rid of photos - choose the ones you like on first impulse (rather than the ones you don’t like ) put the discards in a big brown envelope . Put it to one side . Look at what you have left - is a good selection ! Probably - and enough ! When you are able just put the brown envelope in the bin - it’s way easier than throwing faces you can see!
Dad took lots of photos of scenery with mum looking away from the camera - it took me a while to work out I only wanted photos that showed her face ! I kept 1 of these - out of about 50 !
Get the slides digitised - pay if you can afford it otherwise it’s a winter project and you weed as you go and enjoy it all with a glass of wine !

Party I have the same problem with photos, lots of boxes of prints that my late DH took. I can't destroy his work. My DS1 has told me about a digitising service he has used so I might try it myself once I've made myself do a bit of condensing. I figure it won't cost much more than buying in some storage units...I've moved into a new house with no storage whatsoever and am currently living surrounded by cardboard boxes upstairs including aforementioned photos.

Oldbat, thanks for the tip re old towels. I'll follow that one up.

After 35yrs living in same house we down sized so had to sort out the loft.I decided I wasnt ready to discard past family occasions so I kept just one suitcase of sentimental stuff. Put the clock forward another 11yrs with the death of both parents and the arrival of 4 GCs we are again having to be ruthless but this time I am happier throwing things away the GCs have spent Sundays playing with old toys,reading the old Ladybird books,laughing at their Dads written version of the nativity and school diaries.Now I just have a memory box of GCs treasures for each family, which is easily stored.Husbands library of books remained boxed in new loft so he decided to donate to a local charity and used kindle still prefers to buy books but is happy to pass on.
The problem I have is photographs,4 large boxes. I find it such an emotional turmoil.To throw away feels as if I am dismissing the life with such happy times with lovely memories of people I loved dearly but I know my AC are building their own lives and memories.When the GCs arrived, hundreds of photos were put onto a hard drive.Only wish I knew how to select, condense and present to each family.
Dh downfall is short lived gadgets and tools.?

I'm having a sort out and have lots of old coins, jewellery etc. I had been thinking about asking you all if you had used Vintage Cash Cow but wasn't sure if it is allowed. The reviews seem to be quite good. If my post disappears, I will know it was not allowed!

Jaxjacky

I’m utterly ruthless, have a couple of bits from my parents house, a small case with my children’s wrist bands from their birth, cards from our wedding, a few photo albums and loose photos in a sports bag. We have no ornaments in the main room and a decorative, but functional Ricard set on a kitchen shelf, vases, three, are kept in a cupboard. Clothes are donated or thrown out if they’re not wearable, we have a double wardrobe and a chest of drawers we share. I, fortunately we, dislike clutter, even my seeds are kept filed in an expanding box!

Can you come do my house please lol

Oopsadaisy1

I’m mid De cluttering at moment, not moving, just decided it’s time to let go of some stuff.
I’ve transferred everything I don’t need into the spare bedroom drawers, that way it looks like a load of old junk and for me it’s easier to let it go.Or it will when I get that far.

Do I really need 2 spare keyboards with their mice? Plus a bag full of cables that I haven’t a clue where they came from, everything seems to be working so maybe I’ll risk getting rid of them.

Ive a long way to go, I’ve only done one bedroom so far.........

You’ve made a great start!

Get rid of those keyboards and bag!

Not for sentimental emotional stuff I agree ! Maybe for kids clothes / toys etc , household items . I’m sure that was the idea

Calendargirl

Car boot sales, when allowed, are good to get rid of stuff. Just don’t be greedy about prices. No point taking it home again.

? Noooo!
Car boot sales of stuff I struggle to part with are definitely a no!

Better to give to a charity shop in my opinion! At least I can't see my mum's favourite tea set going for a quid!

It’s a boxed frame

My mum did this with her sister’s Red Cross medals - it was such a good idea and I love it - her photo and a newspaper cutting about her is on the back

Lully Dully - that sounds like a Yorkshire saying !
Savvy - that is a lovely idea and I have thought about it but never achieved it ! I have one very special necklace of my mother’s which is really all I need, and my dad’s poems which are a window into his soul . But it’s still hard to get rid of the other stuff !

Have you thought about putting the things you don't want/need into auction and then buying one item as a remembrance with the proceeds?

You'll still have something to remember your loved one with, but much less stuff to move with.