De-cluttering, the never-ending process

I do. But as long they still fit me and suit my purposes and the various seasons, I am reluctant to get rid, whilst I have enough space
Getting rid of the late DH’s good suits and posh jackets is a different matter. The homeless shelter doesn’t have a call for them and I am slowly dispersing them around charity shops, one in each.

Some of you seem to have a huge amount of clothes!

The problem is replacing good clothes because clothes which might be suitable for me and my lifestyle ie good basics, are hard to come by now.
Perhaps it's that I'm difficult to please but I don't like much of the stuff I see for sale now.

Shall I be wearing jeans again? Probably not, so six pairs could go but what to replace them with?

Doodledog, you sounded just like my son. Yes I do get it, had the pep talk and am taking action

De-cluttering, does not always need to mean `getting rid`, it could mean putting to one side for next season or year. It could mean re-purposing or altering to re-use. The need to make space happens quickly at first, then slows but it still happens

I have finished my wardrobe and drawers, again. Boxed lighter clothes for next year and lo and behold, they all went very neatly into nice boxes under my bed. A big de-cluttering success and now reaping rewards from last season, when I got rid of lots

I tried skirts on, fitted skirts and they are lovely and being hand made are just what I want. In a moment I will be dis-membering a couple of bought skirts, David Nieper, the linings are very nice and will re-line hand made skirts or will make petticoats. The skirts themselves will still be intact and they will go to charity shops

I put only 6 winter skirts back into my wardrobe, this time on separate hangers. The only skirts in there now as too many is overwhelming. One skirt is eastex, fairly long, warm and grey, it is on trial this winter. I think fewer skirts for now, then maybe they will show signs of wear one day

My only regret re acquisition is buying a pale cream cashmere jumper, regret not guilt. I make far nicer jumpers and far more useful. I will wear it this year. Some of my wool jumpers will bobble this winter, I have a very good bobble remover to extend how long I keep these tops and that will be for as long as possible

If you haven't worn something since 2015, you are unlikely to do so again, so get rid. I do understand the reluctance, but you are not losing money by giving them away - you lost the money when you bought the items, so that ship has sailed. Hanging on longer has a chance to mean that nobody will want them as they are out of fashion, so neither the SA nor the potential buyers will benefit.

I had to give myself the same pep talk when I donated 20 or more Ghost dresses, Whistles and Hobbs work clothes (and more) a week or two ago. They are gone now, and I won't miss them, but getting rid of them meant mentally getting rid of the 'me' who wore them - a 'me' who was younger, slimmer and had a more varied life. That's the hard bit - it's irrational, but human, I think.

I am truly boggled right now. Started the day normally and had not even made my bed but was hunting in a drawer for trousers that were medium warm. Out came all the summer trousers and anything lightweight in that chest, 4 big drawers. I wanted a medium warm top from my wardrobe and similar happened in the wardrobe

I now have tall heaps on my bed and my spare bed and am needing a cup of coffee while I think this through. I am very cosy in what I am wearing and it looks nice and is a good pointer for what is a definite

I need to be brave, I have pulled out some good clothes like Orvis or David Nieper skirts, last worn pre 2015 when I was out and about pre-widowhood. They need to be released and best for me is salvation army, who need the money, especially for winter. This is going to take some mental strength this morning

I am grateful for the empty underbed spaces that will hold large RU boxes and 2 of the 32 litre (they are brilliant quality) turquisekeeper crates from amazon, folded down under a guest bed. The remaining clothing for warm weather will all go in those and there will be no overspill back into a wardrobe

So I should not be stomach churning, I have space created from previous de-cluttering. It is blooming daunting, especially mentally but hey I did at last find my long sleeved silk vests

I’ve found one in my Readybrek tin so that’s going now. A mistake I’ve made is putting things into tins etc without washing them out first.

I have a fridge freezer in my new build, 3 tiny freezer drawers, so I bought a large freezer and a large fridge, both always full. I have never switched the installed fridge freezer on. I can reach to the back of most shelves and I like the shelves on the door. I am sure you can guess what I store in that, all my herbs, spices, cooking ingredients except flour. It is brilliant, so much better than those deep larder cuboard shelves

I am static at the moment re de-cluttering, been busy all week, plus adding to fabric stash

That's something I plan to do after my new kitchen goes in, Maybee. I have a large pantry cupboard that has deep shelves, and I can't get to the back of them easily. I want to have it made into a walk-in larder with shallower shelves round the edges and holders built into the back of the doors. It will be a mammoth task, as it's currently crammed, but it's on my list of things to look at after Christmas, when the kitchen fitters have left and I can face things being in a mess again.

My kitchen weevil infestation has really focussed my mind. My zero waste policy has resulted in me having to devote my time to sorting out the kitchen and realising that it’s not wrong of me to throw out food that I’m not going to use. I still don’t know how much I can put in the garden waste bin. I do have a lot of pasta that still seems ok. I did stock up on pasta during lockdown. I’m throwing out all of my stock cubes. And reducing my spices: I only use several of them anyway. I did go through my spices just before the pandemic because I could see that there was a growing problem so it seems surreal going through it all again. Some of the spices I bought then are only just out of date but anything that isn’t in a sealed bottle is going. I now realise why so many things are overpackaged.

. Let’s do it. . .

Mum was very proud of it in 1972 or so, but honestly I really don’t want it, even for sentimental reasons. I think we have to remember that our children may well feel the same about our ‘treasures’ down the line.

but we don’t want a hostess trolley
Everyone needs a hostess trolley 😁
So say Barry and Freda.

Doodledog

A quick question in my coffee break.

I have found a baby dress that belonged to my daughter (I am only keeping one item from each of my children’s babyhood), and it has milk stains on it. It was washed before being put away, but the stains have worked through. It is white cotton with coloured embroidery, so I can’t bleach it. Does anyone know how I can get the yellow stains out, please?

Rubbing it with white toilet soap then washing in a biological liquid might work.
It's odd how stains can reappear.

My children definitely don’t want my things, and I have to make a real effort to be glad about that - they can get their own ‘stuff’ in their own taste, rather than inherit items that were my taste 20 years previously 😀. My mum is always trying to palm off her stuff on my sister and me, but we don’t want a hostess trolley or smoked glass saucepans, however much of an investment she thought they would be when she bought them. I make myself remember this when my two are horrified at the thought that they would want me to declutter in their direction. When they were setting up home they took furniture and cookware, but have systematically replaced most of it over the years.

Doodledog, oh how I empathise. we were brought up money-poor but with parents who brought us up wonderfully and taught us how to stretch a penny. We never knew luxury and us girls each had one school dress and one for sundays. Most of what we wore came from hand me downs from kind hearted people in the locality. No-one was too proud to accept these generous gestures. Those were the days tbh, when people really did look out for each other

Collecting essentials became ingrained and hence I ended up with more than I needed and hence the de-cluttering. Now if I need to buy, which is not often, I buy the best I can afford, knowing that my AC or DGC, will, one day, want my things. What I have left, after de-cluttering, are good items and some nostalgic items

pascal30

karmalady

would you recommend charity shop or salvation army bin for a very good quality rainproof warm winter coatwith a hood? It will be going but I am not sure who to

could you offer it directly to a homeless person?

no. I like the salvation army. I donate to them when ever I can

karmalady

would you recommend charity shop or salvation army bin for a very good quality rainproof warm winter coatwith a hood? It will be going but I am not sure who to

could you offer it directly to a homeless person?

I think we should remember that attitudes to 'stuff' get ingrained in childhood, and change over time. Someone brought up without a lot of things (whether because of scarcity or poverty) is likely to have a different view from someone who was indulged as a child.

I grew up in the 60s, when things were gradually becoming more readily available than they had been for my parents, who were born in 1935. All the same, we got toys at Christmas and birthdays, and clothes when we had grown out of existing ones. There was very little outside of that, so we hung onto as much as possible, knowing that there wouldn't be a new one if something got lost or broken, and that's where the 'just in case' mentality comes from. My parents were children during the war, and of course there was rationing for years after that, so they had ingrained ideas about waste and 'need not want' that they passed onto us. I still struggle to throw away something that might come in handy, even though the reality is that I could get a new one if I found that I needed something. My head tells me one thing, but my upbringing and conditioning tell me another.

My children grew up in the 90s, and had a lot more than I did. They don't hang onto things in the same way, - in fact they can be quite ruthless. They are also very good at saying 'No Mum, I don't want your old pots and pans, and please don't hang onto those hideous onion jars (Sylvac Face Pots) on my account - they are going in a skip when you're gone .' They know they can get more of what they need, and don't have that guilt about hanging onto things whether they really like them or not.

I am conflicted, as I am very conscious that the world needs less 'stuff', and living a more streamlined life is better for both the planet and my own mental health, but the habits of a lifetime are very hard to shift. Giving to charity shops is one way of feeling better about it. I've forced myself to get rid of lots of evening wear that (a) doesn't fit any more, and (b) I don't get the same chance to wear as I used to. At this time of year it might be worn with pleasure by someone, and it's not going to landfill. I have no desire to buy any more, but if Prince Charming ever sends me an invitation to the ball I can get a new gown, and buy something that fits properly - I really won't have to go in rags, and I need to remember that. Now if I could apply that thinking to books (I can get another copy if I really want to read something again) I would have even more space cleared.

There is a definite upside to having a bit more than we think we might need eg I acquired a complete new lot of pure linen bedding, while I still had disposable money after moving. I was looking and saw the perfect items and the site also had a sale on

I bought three sets and then realised that if I bought another three I could change the colours. I did just that and now have two full changes, plus accessories, for three beds. I love that I can change room appearance just by changing bedding colours

Linen prices have gone up considerably today and I class my linen as an heirloom and investment

Just to say that I don`t have that available money now but that linen gives me so much pleasure. That was my reward for the initial de-cluttering and sorting of my smaller, new-build, airing cupboard, all of that was back breaking and difficult but it was a means to an end

Personally I think that de-cluttering humdrum stuff. like paperwork, warrants a no-guilt personal treat

I like to do that sort of thing with a mug of hot chocolate in front of a film.

Thx Doodledog, that makes sense.

I am definitely going to make inroads into this type of stuff. Will force myself to spend some long winter afternoons sorting and getting rid.

Is it just the paperwork such as receipts and statements, rather than policies proving your entitlement to the pensions?

You are not alone . But it’s easier now than it used to be to clear out that sort of thing. You can take photos of the relevant bits and save them to a computer or pen drive (or the Cloud if you use that). Then you can dispose of the bulky paperwork.

Advice please.

I know that in the loft is a big plastic trunk containing stuff going back decades relating to DH’s personal pension plans.

We started putting £10 a month in when he was 30, he’s now early 70’s and has been in receipt of said pensions from 65. (We increased the amounts over time, as and when we could afford more).

But I am reluctant to ‘out’ this paperwork. Why? We never look at it, we aren’t going to suddenly get more income from it.

How long have others amongst you hung onto this type of ‘stuff?’

Or is it just me?

Thanks, I'll give that a go.🤞