De-cluttering, the never-ending process

I am off to drive to DD in 3 hours, I always wake early if I am going on a journey. My boot already contains the large box of de-cluttered items for her, mostly nice clean kilner klip jars. I did ask her and she wanted them

That last post resonated, exactly what my ds said to me when I said it was difficult to part with things when I thought of the initial expense. I needed to look up john lewis past orders last week and there were far too many items that I have now de-cluttered. Now I shop mindfully and am never too old to learn, especially about the all important grief psychology

I went through a spending and giving-away phase for quite some time, I was widowed very suddenly and money and savings seemed worthless then, thankfully I came out of that mindset, eventually and am in a calm phase of my life

I still have two large boxes of items in my garage, destined for another dd who lives in wales. The weather has put the journey off twice but I am hoping to do a handover during the christmas hols

I'm sorry if that came out badly. Of course if something is valuable it is different.

I meant that when I was clearing out wardrobes I hesitated at first to give expensive clothes to charity on the grounds that I'd paid a lot for them, but came to realise that it didn't matter - if they are no use to me now they are worthless, and the money I spent won't come back if I hang onto them, so they had to go, and if someone gets a bargain that's great.

I wasn't meaning that anyone should give heirlooms or anything like that away if they can be sold - second hand clothes, books etc have no real resale value, and are very different.

I agree with most things you say Doodledog, but would have to disagree with your last comment.

People have wildly different income, outgoings and savings from each other.
Plus, see antique programmes for many items that were gathering dust, but are actually valuable.

Mind you that can work the other way around as well.
I helped someone clear out the house, when his parents had both died. The son had been told by his mum that her jewellery was valuable, and to have it valued when she passed away. Nothing she owned, turned out to be valuable at all in the way she had meant.

I'm waiting for Mr D to get back from the tip, and then we are going in search of switchplates, but when I get back and tackle the last bedroom I will name some items.

No disrespect, but I think the view that you can't afford to give something to a charity shop doesn't hold up. The money was spent when you bought it, and if it is not being used it has no value. Passing it on is getting it out of your way, so get rid ASAP is my advice.

Today I am going to tackle DH’s study. His desk has already gone to my son but its contents need sorting, and other things can join items in the garage awaiting removal to an auction house. Someone is coming on Thursday who wants some of his specialist books. I am so pleased. Meanwhile a local friend who came a month ago and earmarked some items has not returned so now it will be first come first served.

Oopsadaisy, where I am there's a local Gifting and Giving page on Facebook. I've found it a very good way to move on things to people who actually want them. Might be worth a look.

It’s worth asking about Christmas decorations oops. One December I asked one of our Hospice shops about an unwanted artificial Christmas tree and some smaller decorations. Bring them in they said. I did, the tree was gone in two days.

The smaller decorations could be stored as there is warehouse space for such things. I had no idea and realise they are unusual. Could you separate out the unwanted stuff, put a crate or several back and take them to a charity shop next Autumn? I do that with seasonally inappropriate clothes.

We’ve been hosting covid and not much has happened other than I’ve had time to think about what really isn’t needed now. Mr C agrees we’ve far too much crockery and glassware. I’ll begin shrinking it when the physical energy returns.

Shed not shared!!

I have put lots of larger things on market place on face book for free and they have all gone....in fact I have queues for things incase anyone doesn't turn up. I had a stack of grey carpet tiles perfect for a workshop, garage or shed and the young lady who took them was going to use to insulated a shared she breeds rabbits in!!! One man's junk is another man's treasure!!! Lol. I have also had three collections done by a local charity shop of books, crockery,clothes, old record albums,bedding,pictures lots of different things.

Although we’ve decided not to move house, I’m still decluttering.
I took seven crates from the loft filled with Christmas Decorations, I know for sure that 7 crates won’t be going back! Not quite sure what to do with the items I don’t want as the Charity shops won’t want anything until next November at the earliest……
Im also letting go of Mums bits and pieces.

KayL - I agree with some of the points.
I am largely at the storage solution part now - to keep things stay organised. But even that is a whole lot easier now clutter is less.

I am the opposite of the last point though. And that is proving a challenge. Hope to work on that in the New Year.
I am taking things off the computer, not putting them on. I dont trust Governments or elites or even a war or something, or incompetence by someone somewhere, not to have the plug pulled on the internet at some point. Temporarily or otherwise. I might have said that was just me, but talking with friends, some of them are saying/doing the same thing.

Doodledog - perhaps you can name a few items, and people can say where they put them in their homes? If that would help?
I struggle with homeless items too.
Didnt know what to do with gc "artwork"!
In the end, had a small set of drawers which isnt used much, and put them in that.

It is a bit difficult with toys, as some can be worth a little bit nowadays.
Maybe in the first instance, sort them into the piles[like they do on the declutter programmes you watch[sorry cant remember the names]] of keep, recycle, throw? Or whatever the piles are called?
And buy some batteries for those that need them?

My DH has just sold a couple of Fisher Price toys on eBay. Maybe MayBee you could try that.

I’ve just been at my partners for two weeks. A quite minimalist place that I pretty much decorated. Coming back to my cluttered house rammed with family memories is overwhelming me and I’m just looking at the mess. I have toys everywhere that were meant to be for the grandchildren to play with but I didn’t see them throughout the pandemic. They still come here for the odd day during the school holidays. My kids never wanted to visit my parents because there was nothing for them to play with so I have been a bit obsessive about having toys here. I can’t really afford to give everything to charity shops and can’t face parting with the rocking horse. I don’t know where to start.

That’s interesting, Kayl, and welcome to the gang .

I have the final push on Wednesday as the last lot of furniture arrives. I have emptied a wardrobe to get rid of it in time for the new one arriving, but there are still boxes of ‘homeless’ items in there, as it is the last room to be finished. I’m not sure what to do with them - I know that if they are left there they will attract more ‘stuff’ and the room will become a dumping ground again, but they don’t seem to have a natural home. This will be the trickiest bit, I think. The items have survived several purges as each room has been done, so I don’t think much can be disposed of, but I’d really like the space to be clear.

I am awake at stupid o’clock again and am not starting now, but will have a good go at it when I get up.

Doodledog

Anyway, back to decluttering. I have found a bag of school reports and photos (for my children, not mine!) and don't know what to do with them. I doubt they will want them, but worry that they might regret my throwing them away later.

I am with you, Doodledog. Whenever my children visit, they always mention that I need to declutter, but not their stuff they left at my house, haha. I will rather keep theirs and let them decide when the time comes.
Even I declutter my house each year, it seems that I still collect things over time. While I was browsing, I found this article, which is quite useful. Sometimes, seeing from a distance with objective view helps me from being too tangled with emotion.

silvercare.org.nz/home/home-garden/decluttering-made-easy/

I am in the process of putting a lot of things back, and sorting out more to get rid of in the process. It's difficult, as there are two rooms still waiting for furniture to be delivered, so I need to keep them as empty as possible, but at the same time I need to empty what is in there so that the old can make way for the new. It's like a game of Tetris.

We are getting there though, although the kitchen has hit snags and is taking a lot longer than planned, which is keeping a fair bit of downstairs out of commission too.

We have just replaced the carpeting in our three bedrooms,with cushionfloor. It’s been a drawn-out process as it involved screeding, fitting and decorating the rooms.

Been putting stuff back today, trying to be more sensible about what we should keep. One of the spare bedroom wardrobes is used to store various ‘stuff’, e.g. bulbs, household items, box files….. Have outed a fair bit of useless items.

At least I know where more things are now. Must keep up the good work.

Doodledog

Anyway, back to decluttering. I have found a bag of school reports and photos (for my children, not mine!) and don't know what to do with them. I doubt they will want them, but worry that they might regret my throwing them away later.

I should offer them to the AC, but if they don’t want them, throw them out. No point in keeping them, is there, if they aren’t interested?

I have a coat, a very warm thick and heavy coat with a hood and I wore it two days ago for only the second time. I am going to bite the bullet with this one, it will do someone very well and I am going to pop it into the salvation army collection point. They will re-home it well

It is far too heavy for me and it will release a decent amount of space in my spare wardrobe. Cost a lot from lands end but my mindset is to let it go as a charitable donation to a person in need

I showed my 18 year old grandson some old school badges and a prefect beret of mine thinking he would just laugh and tell me to get rid of them but when I went to put them in the bin he said No Granny you can’t throw them out! I guess I should have said Well you keep them then.

That's how I've looked at it up to now, but I'm trying to talk myself out of that way of thinking. Single items rarely take up much space on their own, but the cumulative effect is clutter.

I am of the, if they dont want them, I still keep them!
I figure they do not take up much room.

Anyway, back to decluttering. I have found a bag of school reports and photos (for my children, not mine!) and don't know what to do with them. I doubt they will want them, but worry that they might regret my throwing them away later.