30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

Gingster

I’m not a hoarder but Dh is. He has two rails of clothes that he hasn’t worn for 10 years at least. What can I do about that?
Every so often I say, ‘let’s have a clear out’. Last week he through one hoodie away! 😤

I have a husband like that. I don't have an answer unfortunately.

The British Heart Foundation will collect furniture, homeware and electrical items ....... details on their website.
Sounds like a great idea Guesswhat ....... Good Luck to all who are joining in

My daughter and her friends sell lots of children’s clothes and toys on the village Facebook page.
Even things which aren’t in the best condition she’ll offer for free, and it always goes.
Not something I want to get involved with, but works for her.

Good luck to you all. Our first declutter was 2006, we moved from the family home. Then 2010 when we moved again. Then I was widowed in 2015 and more de-cluttering. 2019 I moved and the big de-clutter took 3 years prior to that. Even yesterday I took a bag of goodies to my charity shop

It is on-going. The de-clutter from a long-time family home is the worst. I don`t sell stuff, I give it away and that helps me to feel good about getting rid of things that cost money to buy or make

My tip is to keep a shopping trolley in the hall, put items in there which you are not sure about and leave it there for a few days

I really should do this. Being a seamstress in the past and still a keen crafter I do get lots of 'stuff' given to me, fabric, knitting yarn, buttons.....you name it, I am given it. Some of it does get used, but not much really. The last fabric donation was a part used roll of curtain fabric from the 1970's, loads of fabric still on the roll and as it was a plain colour and perfect for scenery it was immediately gifted to a local am dram group.
I have clothes that I have not worn in several years too, particularly summer ones which are packed away at present........I can see this challenge extending way beyond 30 days.
I might consider a 'swap-shop' project with local crafters too.

Gingster

I’m not a hoarder but Dh is. He has two rails of clothes that he hasn’t worn for 10 years at least. What can I do about that?
Every so often I say, ‘let’s have a clear out’. Last week he through one hoodie away! 😤

I think me might both live with the same person

Gingster

I’m not a hoarder but Dh is. He has two rails of clothes that he hasn’t worn for 10 years at least. What can I do about that?
Every so often I say, ‘let’s have a clear out’. Last week he through one hoodie away! 😤

Send them off to the charity shop if he hasn’t worn them for 10 years he will hardly miss them

MayBee70 - can you promise yourself to list an item a day?
That will surely be start, even if they are only books?

When my (new) garden was overgrown and I was exhausted I found I could make myself pull 10 weeds a day. It made a tidy area in no time at all and felt like I was achieving something.

I’m not going to sell things, as it would take even longer to sort them. Some of my old clothes were expensive but if they don’t fit they have the same status as cheaper ones - they are clutter. We have a ‘boutique’ charity shop that sells things at a higher price than the others and specialises in more expensive items, so I use that for better things. Someone gets a bargain and the charity gets a bit more money. The British Heart Foundation will collect boxed items such as books. You can organise a collection online.

I think a problem for many older people is that we were brought up to keep things ‘just in case’ and didn’t get replacements as often as happens now. I know I am a clash of the two value systems . I do buy new things, but I also hark back to when I knew that if I got rid of something I wouldn’t get another for some time. My children are far more ruthless about getting rid of ‘stuff’, as they’ve always had a lot more than I did.

I also get overwhelmed by tasks like sorting out. I wonder if I have ADD. I know it’s fashionable, so I fear bandwagonitis, but I do have a lot of the traits. Either way, I find it very difficult to get going and to keep at it when I do.

Right. I’m off to tackle that sideboard!

I am presently in the middle of a clear out I hate clutter so I do this at least twice a year. Doing a bit each day one drawer or a cupboard but keep going until you are finished. You do have to be a but ruthless. Would hate to keel over unexpectedly and someone else have to sort through mounds of unnecessary belongings.
My husband is really bad at recycling or clearing out his clothes even stuff he is unlikely to fit in again. Now he really doesn’t have a Scooby what he has got so I put a few bits to charity every so often

I’m at the other end of all you ladies: I can’t bear stuff.
I use my urge to get rid of stuff by sorting in a charity shop.

Today I have to take a mountain of books ( donations) to the tip. We have so many and non of the 3 charity shops near us want them.

Please remember that charity shops have to pay for rubbish to be taken away. Our skip costs £60 per lift. We sometimes have 2 a week.

I'll join you Guesswhat though it will be small bags and every other day as I have moved loads of times and decluttered every time. Still, things multiply in the night I reckon so I still have stuff to get rid of. We have a lovely local charity shop which takes absolutely anything. Run by a mum whose daughter died of cancer; she raises money to donate to teenagers with cancer. It incorporates a café and is one of my favourite go-to places.

Good quality used clothing can go to a homeless charity. Coats, jackets, hats, socks, gloves, scarves especially welcome. If your clothes get wet and you’ve no home, you can’t get them dry.

We are lucky, a local garage acts as a collection point.

I've mentioned this charity before, but they will collect most items from your driveway if they're bagged. Money goes to an eye tumour charity and a lot of stuff is sent overseas.

anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/

I'm in! I look forward to joining you, and thanks for the link VB000.

MerylStreep

I’m at the other end of all you ladies: I can’t bear stuff.
I use my urge to get rid of stuff by sorting in a charity shop.

Today I have to take a mountain of books ( donations) to the tip. We have so many and non of the 3 charity shops near us want them.

Please remember that charity shops have to pay for rubbish to be taken away. Our skip costs £60 per lift. We sometimes have 2 a week.

But if some charity shops don’t want books, why don’t they have notices up telling us that?

Our local shop always welcomes them, but then they have a huge and quick turnover at 5 for £1. Apparently they make a lot of money from them.

On the other hand I went to one shop recently that was trying to sell them at £1/£1.50 each - they had bags crammed full of books at the door waiting to be collected for the tip. I had a bit of a rummage and there were newly published books in there that had obviously just been donated. They should have been turned away so that others could benefit from them.

Whoops, sorry for the thread diversion!

I’ll join in. I took a bag of unused toiletries to our food bank collection point yesterday, so there’s day 1 done. Today I’m dropping off a bag of magazines I’ve saved for a friend who enjoys them.

It's a shame that books are sent to the tip, as with libraries closing there must be a lot of people who would get pleasure from them. I understand that they take up space though, and I suppose that markup has to be taken into account. We've recently had a wall of bookshelves built, and I have a lot of books to get rid of, but I'd hate to think of them being pulped. It's good to see that the people in VB000's link upthread will take them. Some of the old textbooks will probably be pulped anyway, but even if they just get a few pence for them it's all to the good, and at least I don't have to bin them myself. They might find a first edition in there (unlikely!) that makes up for the ones that sell for 5p each.

I've just checked, and they can pick up from me in the middle of February, which would give me time to sort out other things to go, too. It looks as though the middle of the month is their time for collection here, so I could aim to have at least something ready each month - having a deadline is always good for me. 60% of the value of collected items go to charity, which seems to me likely to be on a par with high street shops? Overheads are going to be high whichever method of collection is used.

I've already sorted the sideboard drawers! Still the cupboard bits to go, but I've earned myself a coffee break. I've kept bags of old photos (the ones from the developers). I resisted the temptation to go through them, as that way madness lies. I'd still be here at midnight, reminiscing and taking photos of the photos to send to the family WhatsApp group and bore the children with 'do you remember this?' . I've committed the cardinal sin for declutterers and moved them from one drawer to another. I will have to sort them out one day, but that's Advanced Sorting, and I'm still on Level 1.

I have a close friend who has done something similar only she selected one item a day that she popped into a bag and that bag was out by the end of the week. Just saying as it's very doable and not overpowering to stick to longer term

VB000

I've mentioned this charity before, but they will collect most items from your driveway if they're bagged. Money goes to an eye tumour charity and a lot of stuff is sent overseas.

anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/

They say 60% of proceeds go to charity.
I think their charities change.

I moved house about a year ago and brought all my clutter with me! So am still unpacking boxes of stuff (no other word for it), I too will have a declutter. Trouble is I am sentimental and keep a lot, of things that are no use to anyone and they stay in boxes.
Onwards and upwards in the de-clutter gang. Good luck everyone

I’m finding myself nodding along to all your stories. I too have lived in this house for 40-odd years, have amassed stuff from deceased parents’ home, have kept my children’s toys etc. to pass on to grandkids (Why??? They’ve turned up their noses at them!)

Anyway, I’ve accomplished Day 1. My plan of taking books to the charity shop has been put on hold. Instead, I took a pile of newspapers from a corner of the living room and dumped them in the recycling. They had festered there for months, waiting for me to sort through them and cut out recipes, diet plans and other lifestyle articles which would never get looked at again.

So, a painless start to the mammoth task ahead. Barely touching the surface, but it WAS a carrier bag’s worth. So, I’m chuffed.

I'm hoping it will get easier as it goes along. I think it will, as the task will gradually (very gradually in my case!) become less overwhelming as having clearer surfaces will look nicer, and having cupboards/cubbies to put things in will make it all so much less stressful.

NotSpaghetti

VB000

I've mentioned this charity before, but they will collect most items from your driveway if they're bagged. Money goes to an eye tumour charity and a lot of stuff is sent overseas.

anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/

They say 60% of proceeds go to charity.
I think their charities change.

Thanks NotSpaghetti - I found this site in October last year, and it was the same charity then, but as they point out, they sometimes change the nominated charity.

Just thought it may help people who are less able to travel, or have items that other charity shops don't want, such as books etc.

Our local charity shop usually has a sign to say they're not currently accepting donations! If items end up at the tip, even 60% is better than nothing!

If you find the 30 bags in 30 days "crash course" in decluttering a bit overwhelming, some of you might prefer the more gentle "Bin, Charity Show, Tip". method. If you have things to sell you could add that in too.
You commit to doing this every week and it is surprising how easy it is. I did this last Spring & Summer and got rid of quite a bit of stuff, think I will start again as there is more to get rid of