30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

MayBee70

Can I join in please? I really need help. Nearly fifty years in the same house. Have my children’s stuff here. My ex husbands, FIL’s etc. I still live in the family home and am the custodian of everything as they live in smaller houses. I’ve always been a hoarder/collector (can’t resist buying things from car boots or charity shops). Spent years buying things for my dream cottage but remain in a boring box of a house so my cottage stuff is stuck in cupboards. Kept all my children’s stuff forthe grandchildren to play with…some of which does interest them but some doesn’t. I try to throw things away but the thought of it going into landfill upsets me (eg old videos). I did give my daughter her old school books recently and the pictures she drew when she was little. It is now up to her if she throws them out. I’m trying to go through food that I stockpiled during the pandemic. Just put a lot of out of date food in the green bin (only things that can’t be used: I do ignore best before dates on most things). I’ve found a lovely fruit and vegetable shop that takes back egg cartons for their wormery and I can buy things using my reusable bags (throughout the pandemic we’ve been having Tesco deliveries and I’m horrified at the amount of packaging). They’ve just opened a new repair cafe nearby so I can take things to them to be fixed. If not I can throw them away ( I’ve hung onto them not knowing if they’re repairable). It’s given me an incentive. I’ve got wardrobes full of clothes that I don’t wear. Eg what do I do with M&S cotton knickers that are in perfect condition, many unworn but in a size I’ll never wear again? I keep thinking they’re good for polishing. Furniture upcycling projects that I’ve never got round to doing. Sorry to ramble on…just thinking out loud.

Just a few ideas for you...

- Pandemic food - sort through and food you will not be able to use, donate to the local food bank
- Tesco plastic bags = pass on to local charity shops
- Your children's stuff - pass on to your children
- Family furniture /items pass on to your children and enjoy seeing them use and enjoy them
- Dream cottage items, use them and enjoy them in your present home
- Knickers pass on to a charity such as Smalls For All
- clothes you won't wear again pass on to charity shops so someone benefits
- Books / records ditto above or look at sites such as Music Magpie who buy from you
- Items you are unable to repair could be listed on your local FB free page, someone might want them

I've also found my local FB page a good place for suggestions about how and where to recycle / pass on items.

I also hate waste and things going to landfill, but I don't like lots of stuff around me. I just pass it on. Good luck.

We had a dinner last night. I'm pleased to have the linens washed/ dried and put up, the crockery/ cutlery away, and DR tidy.

I abhor a home to be messy, best I could do today was clean.

Pleasant note, our widowed daughter became engaged last night. Her children like him, we like him, the ring is gorgeous.

Some you win, some you don't.
A member of the local historical society came to inspect one of the "collections" DH saved for posterity. She was suitably impressed horrified by the enormity of the task and says that they can take a few boxes. but not her it would need to be a colleague. big strong man

I have tried to call the Soil Association, whose archives seem to have come to me but no joy. No-one answers a phone and they are centralised to Bristol now.

I took DMiL's garden rubbish to the Council tip. I put that in garden waste so it will become compost.

So not a lot of progress and now I'm ready for a cuppa.
Onwards and upwards declutterers.

Your hallway sounds lovely Doodledog

Congratulations to your daughter, Norah, and thanks Grammaretto.

The bags left the house this morning, and I took 30 balls of yarn to my knitting group this morning, so all is well in Doodleworld.

- Your children's stuff - pass on to your children

I tried, believe me!!

If any small children come to visit and enjoy playing with a toy/toys, it gets given to them to take home 🙂 especially the noisy ones.

Congratulations to Norah's daughter and fiancé

Well, not achieved as much today, but managed to clear a shelf and also now have an empty drawer to fill. It’s progress.

Norah congratulations to your daughter.

Thank you. We're praying for her happiness, widow with children was difficult. But GC are through uni, he has no children. They only need to decide is if they want to sell his home or hers.

We have no vote, but a prayer.

Doodledog

Congratulations to your daughter, Norah, and thanks Grammaretto.

The bags left the house this morning, and I took 30 balls of yarn to my knitting group this morning, so all is well in Doodleworld.

Thank you to Callistemon21 and Doodledog.

Forgot to quote, my tech skills aren't necessarily the best.

Patsy70

Well, not achieved as much today, but managed to clear a shelf and also now have an empty drawer to fill. It’s progress.

Norah congratulations to your daughter.

Thank you.

What lovely news Norah and thank you GN ers for giving me the boot to the derriere I needed to start sorting out the mountain of junk/ important stuff/ crap in my house. 70 books down and dishes/ mugs/ plastic boxes edited. I'm not sure that you'd notice...

That’s it Chocolatelovinggran! I’m the only one who will notice it! However, that will not deter me. Would anyone like the Harry Potter hard backs? 😳

Plastic boxes edited chocolatelovibggran that made me laugh.

Lovely news Norah Good wishes to your DD and her fiancé.

I think I have sold my clay mixer. I'm a potter but I am doing much less teaching and making now so don't need an industrial clay mixer. It weighs a ton so I hope the person will be able to lift it

I have urged to ho and track down all these balls of yarn .......
One more blanket finished, more yarn to go.

I found some oddments of old porcelain and spent a while checking to see if any were worth a million£ or so but, alas, no so they'll be going to the charity shop.

Patsy70

That’s it Chocolatelovinggran! I’m the only one who will notice it! However, that will not deter me. Would anyone like the Harry Potter hard backs? 😳

HP hardbacks have a value if they are in good condition, obviously more so if they are first editions. My daughter was looking for copies for her (now) ex, and they were quite expensive. Don't throw them out if you can be bothered to list them for sale?

I accidentally found a salvation army collection bin, tucked out of sight and only a short walk away. That is certainly going to help with my clothing sorting. I won`t see them walking around locally, nor do I sell them

Doodledog. No, I won’t throw the HP books out, as they’re in excellent condition.
MayBee70. You have a challenge there, but if you start in one room, one cupboard at a time you’ll get there, with lots of support and advice on this thread. Incidentally, the knickers can go to a charity shop, not for sale, but for rag which also brings some money in for them.

I had an email from Oxfam today to say my recent donation had raised £14 odd including gift aid.
I'm not sure how they know it's from me but it's nice to hear.

I wonder how they knew. I don't think the collection people from VB000's link asked me about tax status, and the bags weren't labelled in any way as from me, so even if they knew it they probably couldn't link the goods to my tax code.

Sorry - meant to say that it is nice to hear, and it's doubly good as you've decluttered and they have benefited.

Well, I have at least found out that one of my tv’s*still works and is now in the kitchen. And I have one solitary aerial lead that I know can be recycled. The tv with the broken dvd player can go but I’m not sure where. I know of other recycling places where you can just turn up but my local one is quite a drive away and is appointment only.
*I have no idea when I bought that tv!

MayBee our local recycling depot has a place for electrical goods. Apparently they get stripped down and any valuable and reusable elements are removed and recycled.

Just don't throw out your computer hard drive before all your important information has been uploaded to your new computer.
I know that from bitter experience.

I've gone through the kitchen gadgets like Cherry stoners that never get used and put them in a large jar in a cupboard if they are not used by Easter they are going.
I have also sorted duvets into winter and summer and written with a marker pen on the label. unused ones ready for the Recycle Centre and pillows.

Well done yammy

I haven't done any decluttering today.
Yoga, haircut and a Gaelic class and I am packing to go away for the weekend.

Where I keep my suitcases shares a wardrobe top with hatboxes so dusty I doubt the hats inside will be worn again.
No more weddings expected in my family.
So it's hats to go to charity.

Good progress being made here today. Congratulations, declutterers!

I got my new shelf up today, but I had to let the oil dry, so haven't put books on it yet. I'll do that first thing tomorrow, then set about sorting out the remaining ones into 'donate' and 'keep' piles. Once I'm organised I will operate a strict 'one in, one out' system, so I shouldn't have to do this ever again.

I need to book a collection for next month, as I still have a lot of things to go out. We go away a lot in the spring/summer months, so I want to crack on and get as much done as possible before then, as it will get trickier both to sort out and to be around for collections.