De-cluttering, the never-ending process

Cabbie could you get in touch with an allotment association or a workshop that teaches practical skills like carpentry etc . If you Google you might find places in your area that will take them . When I moved wood ,pipes ,screws etc went to a local charity which made things to sell in there shop but taught young and old skills to make things . Only kept a few of my husbands tools things I knew would be useful.

I have taken over my dining room as the point where stuff is going until I get to a charity shop. I'm gradually whittling out my painting stash and have culled books I haven't read in years. My cupboard in the hall will be next.

We had a donation of a pure Cashmere men’s coat. Made and designed in Italy. Never been worn absolutely stunning.
I was able to sell it on a specialist site for £1,000.
That was a good day 😍

Cabbie21

I wish I could feel more motivated. The trouble is finding an outlet for lots of the stuff, especially stationery. Hard back note books ( ideal if you write a journal) clip boards, too good for recycling. Quantities of screws and other DIY stuff I shall never use. Not the sort of thing charity shops take. And sentimental stuff.

The charity shop where I will be soon accepts everything, and I mean everything 😱.

I wish I could feel more motivated. The trouble is finding an outlet for lots of the stuff, especially stationery. Hard back note books ( ideal if you write a journal) clip boards, too good for recycling. Quantities of screws and other DIY stuff I shall never use. Not the sort of thing charity shops take. And sentimental stuff.

I had to declutter again recently after my stay in hospital for a week in January. Had lots of plastic containers with 4 clips I was lucky if I could do 2 ,plus all my stoneware oven proof dishes where to heavy . Finally got rid of all my glasses which I haven't used for years as I kept breaking them . Pasta and cereal bowls which where to heavy . Load of towels which I won't use. Sorted out books I won't read again .

My daughter had all the stone ware and plastic containers. Books went to the church where I go to my exercise classes as it's round the corner from where I live . But will have to wait until my daughter dies a charity shop run to get rid of the boxed things as no charity will collect boxes.

Brought the white and blue edged enamel baking dishes which are light. And storage containers from M&S which have a chunky handle which is easy for me to use . My daughter said they are stylist, finally at 66 I am stylist 😂. Replaced my glasses with unbreakable wine glasses and tumblers from Etsy.

All surplus craft things went to my new craft group. Already found more to take this month.

Must admit I do love decluttering as it declutters my mind . When it's warmer the garage needs a good declutter.

Oh yes re clothes that are never worn. I have one very expensive item, an impulsive buy quite a few years ago, on a hanger with a protective cover over and very out of sight

From celtic and co and is a reversible gilet and I am gutted that I paid so much for a gilet, I just looked the price up. Best thing to do is get it out and keep it in sight downstairs and wear it

Oh, that was when I had widows brain, money meant nothing at the time, what was the point of saving etc. Obviously, I feel very differently now but what was done is done

I’m still doing it. I found a dress in a wardrobe the other day. Price tag still on. Never worn. Don’t even remember buying it. It was reduced, though, so it was probably yet another example of me using something ‘because it was a bargain’. I went to a second hand dress shop te other day to see if they could sell some of the dresses I never wore ( man not worn at all) and they said they don’t sell anything more than three years old. And yet none of the stuff they had looked fashionable. I spoke to someone in a nearby shop and they said they upset a lot of people with their rather snooty attitude. I did find a list I’d made a while back that was encouraging, as I’d done most of the things on the list. I’ve got the house to self this week so I’m achieving quite a lot. Trouble is the garden now needs work doing on it.

It just never ends ☹️ and it’s soooo boring, or I just get stuck looking at photos or reading a much loved book!

cookery books today, my foods are very simple these days and I have taken out about 1/3 of my books, two for the cs and the rest have been dismembered so I can shred pages for compost and mulch. I took Nigella out but put her back

Got to keep going with this de-cluttering malarky

I did it, this morning. It took me 9 years to be able to let it all go but the local mens shed are now the very happy owners of very good, big, modern and hardly used expensive items that initially belonged to my husband and have stood there for 9 years. I am talking the likes of a top range scrollsaw

It took me three trips with my cavernous car and my garage looks like a bomb has hit it. I wanted to donate and not sell, they were so happy and I know that karma always comes back, one way or another

I don`t feel flat, just mentally hyper, I want to come to terms quickly. I was going to a lovely sedate craft club today but it will be better for me to get stuck into tidying my garage, moving big shelving systems and so on. I don`t want to feel flat but being physical this afternoon will get rid of the pent-up energy

It is so very different from removing clothes

I expect most of you are still at it, albeit quietly getting on with it. It is a necessary thing if we want to make things easier for any next of kin, downsizing or moves into care etc

I am not swedish death cleaning, not really but am doing my best to keep paperwork etc reasonably up to date. I have to do my files again but that can wait for a winter bad-weather day

I have de-cluttered some big heavy garden pots, hard work but good for muscle-building. I had to break them to get the plants out, very thick salt-washed pots.

Indoors, not a lot but I am on the sensible path wrt my wardrobes and my fabric, yarn and spinning fibre stash. Some of my wood carving equipment has gone up to Scotland to ds. I did 3 big heavy parcels and sent them, one at a time. The third one was stolen in transit (dpd) that was a horrible experience but we have drawn the line across. No point fretting

Indoors, I have de-cluttered several of my wearable toiles from my wardrobe, all in all I now have space in the wardrobes. Obviously more to do from drawers but it really is a slow process. An upside is that there are no clothes in RU boxes under the bed. I never thought I would get to that stage but really, the small steps do add up

It has dawned on me, that with some things I dont know what to do with/about, a 2nd opinion proves to be very helpful.

Managing to get some more done. As a sick person is staying here, so neither of us can venture out for several days.

She knows a lot more about travel these days, than I do. Hence used her help to go through all things travel related.

Madeleine I completely empathise with you, only baby steps are all you need right now

It is blooming ongoing eg last night I could not sleep thinking of all the things in my airing cupboard that I will not be using again, too good to throw out, so I said for the past 9 years.

I am tackling it head on this morning, the big spaces in the cupboard are a pain so I found some sturdy see-through wire sided and zipped storage. Done the measuring and have ordered them. At least I will no longer have things falling on top of other things

Big big bags are being filled today and all I can give away to AC are a few silk pillowcases. They also have everything they need

Strange,, that I woke up straight into sorting having spent the night tossing and turning about this stuff. At last I was ready to `let go` so my inner thoughts told me

I miss my husband for many many things but in this case particularly getting rid of things. He was a thrower out and I was a mix of hoarder for some things and throw out for others. I had to be in the mood to have a sort out and then could do quite a good job. Our compromise worked out well. If my husband was in the mood to sort out a drawer or cupboard or whatever he would go through it all but then I would have a look at what he was planning to get rid off. Most of it would go but I would feel ok as I had looked over it all and occasionally would find some important spare part for the hoover or whatever to rescue. On my own now and with a bad back I can see plenty of things that need sorting but dont feel up to beginning the hassle and no keen husband to chivy me. Ah well there will be a rainy day when I feel like starting sometime!

For some things in life, I use the joke,
"How do you eat an elephant. One bite at a time"!

Go into garage/loft. Have a look around.
Then, if daunting think, "well I could do that bit I suppose". Do it. Repeat ad infinitum.
That is what works for me.

Not sure about Jesus Christ, but I could use some divine inspiration when I start sorting out my garage/loft!!

Reported.

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I presume you have made great improvements since you started this thread, karmalady.

Nice paper bags with nice handles - I seem to have acquired quite a number.
Someone said they have one more use.
Does anyone have some good uses for them? Apart from using them for present giving?

My garage is giant storage Fancythat, bikes, tools, fuel etc Nothing in the loft

I did a long cycle ride this morning but had the energy to get cracking on the wardrobe and the storage boxes of clothes under the bed. I have a big black bag of clothes to go out tomorrow and ended up with two 18l empty really useful boxes. That will do me, at least now I can lay my hands on layers plus best of all, I have found the summer lycra for cycling

When I sew, I always make a wearable toile as a first sample ie I make the garment really well and that makes it harder to get rid. I did the deed today to include fabrics with colours that don`t suit me plus a fab set of dungarees but I finally admit that this particular style does not suit me, neither does the colour

It is happening, this de-cluttering but it certainly is not a bulldozing quick job. What I did today was basic, not the one-off, for the other titivating thread

I have gone through my clothes.
Done a bit each year and now finished.

As I go through old paperwork, much of which should have got thrown years ago, it will release some more pieces of furniture which are probably only useful as firewood at this point.

Loft is ongoing. My fault the loft.
Some of the kids have agreed to take their stuff out of it. There is more of it up there than I have been thinking,

Some things in it can come down. Some thrown out.
After all that, and done a tidy, and some kids taken their things, it should look much better.

Starting to think, how old will I be, before going up and down the loft ladder will be too risky? After 75? I dont know.

Someone pointed out to me that some things I have up there, others keep in their garages.
To me, a car goes in the garage. But apparently nowadays, a lot of garages are used as giant storage spaces.

Ooh I don`t feel on my own now

It`s that time of year but this year has gone from cold to warm. Anyway I am just back from salvation army and have re-homed my very new too-`warm padded coat with hood plus a very warm, new, lovely design padded over top. A beautiful top but too big

I need a coffee now, a break, asI don`t want to go mad but need to be methodical. There are plenty of layering clothes up there, for a mild spring or autumn, which is what we usually get. I will keep them but am going to be careful wrt trying on first. Too large and they will go

You are not alone fancythat . I am continuing to edit the kitchen ( three cheese graters?!) , linen cupboard and bookshelves.
I handcuffed myself to the dining chairs on Saturday to prevent me from going to the library on book sale day.