De-cluttering, still at it, still no end

My son is going to Budapest next week so I dug out my file of stuff from my visit there almost 20 years ago. A trip down memory lane. Glad I kept it!

Oh Cabbie, I loved Budapest!
Of course, this post is me distracting myself from the Great British Declutter which should be my focus..

I am tidying, "normal" areas recently.

Needed a notelet. Found two. Plus a pad of writing paper.
As you can tell, I use neither, regularly.

But how did I previously not notice quite how many envelops we have? Of various sizes?
About 250?

This is the type of clearout thing I tend to deal with. Small stuff.

I’ve gone through a load of closed bank accounts, torn them up ready for the incinerator.

Feel quite satisfied, progress made.

Finally!!! I managed to do a first stage de-clutter of my wardrobe and 5 garments are now in the salvation army clothes bank. 4 unworn for whatever reason, one was a lovely hand- made unworn quilted jacket with a tie. I spent many hours making that but quilted is not for me

My wardrobes are the most difficult part of current de-cluttering. Brushed cotton pyjamas were easy, won out jeans were easy. The right thing to do now is to wear things and they will go if I avoid wearing them

Polyester will go if I find any more, which I doubt. Two new warm lands end fleecy polyester went this morning. Someone may be glad of them

I cannot believe how much “stuff” I’ve accumulated (& still am 😱😱)

I need to 1) declutter 2) stop buying stuff

I stopped buying, ages ago.
As I have done 90%[perhaps 85%] of the declutter, I now know I may not need any more towels[did think that 20 years ago, so may get that wrong], clothes[but I cringe at the thought of wearing things I have worn to weddings, when I am in my 90s!], and a few other things. Like envelopes!

I should perhaps repeat I am 6 years into my declutter[dont things at my own pace].

I have basically one bedroom left to do.
About 3 boxes of who knows what in corners of room.
Still some paperwork.
And as much as loft as I can bother to do.[some of it kids'stuff[some of which should be given back very shortly].

Fancythat I like the way you quietly plod on with the task. Well done you

The change of seasons is being helpful, I was wanting to wear layers today and 2 of my tops are just too tight, they are leaving my wardrobe. I cannot be doing with being uncomfortable in clothes and I am definitely not putting them back

It was washing that did it tbh, some fabrics shrink on more than one wash plus I was optimistic when I made them

Thank you.

I was determined. Absolutely determined.

It was a case of, if I dont start now[this was 6 years ago], other commitments, or bad health may have stopped me further on.
Thankfully, neither has happened so far.
I did think though, it would take 1 year, 2 at most!

I get this, decluttering really does feel never-ending.

One thing I realized is the hardest part is stuff that still has value. You don’t want to throw it, but also don’t know where to sell it.

What helped me a bit was not trying to sell everything in one place. Different resellers give better prices for different things. If you go to just one, they usually lowball because they treat everything the same.

It’s still a slow process, but this made it a little easier for me. I went through something similar when my grandmother passed. We had things like a working stairlift and medical equipment—stuff that still had value, but I also wanted it to go to the right person who actually needed it.

Looking through my collection of vases, some for actual flowers and some as ornaments, I am going to sort a few for our next car boot.

Also had some old demijohns in the garage. We use a couple for sloe gin, but we don’t need so many.

Have soaked them with dishwasher tablets, they have come up sparkling.

I have looked up prices on E Bay, and will take a spare one or two to the CB. Not going to give them away, however, as they look quite ‘sellable’.

We’ll see.

I’ve given up trying to declutter. With husband like mine impossible. He proudly said to someone the other day I have thrown very little away since we got married. The other day I replaced a toaster that moved with us at least ten years ago and it was far from new then. One had to stand and hold the handle down for it to slowly toast. It was put to go to tip / recycling. It was rescued and I found it just chucked in a shed.

Oh.

Any chance he would let other things go in a shed?

So at least they would be out of the house?

Just a suggestion.

If you were to bag up a bin bag's worth of stuff, and put it by a shed, and say he can either throw or keep[in the shed] what was in the bag, what would he do?

FANCYTHAT. If only it was so easy let me explain we have a good sized Victorian house. With four cellar rooms two he occupies with office stuff including about 9 or 10 old computers and probably about 7or 8 printers he claime they are all wanted as they have different programs on them.He flows into the third given half a chance. He retired during covid Desks pilled high with stuff and it is all over the floor The last time I did a bit of tidying / sorting while he was away life was not worth living for quite a while. The shed idea. Oh dear our house had previously been riding stables so there is a stable block with 16 stables. Need I go on. I would not mind if he could find anything. Or if he kept them tidy

I am beginning to see what you mean.

You have your work well and truly cut out for you.

Busy day working on the allotment yesterday, I am pottering today and am finding that pottering enables me to have a good think about various items

Cut up for bike-cleaning rags today, a washed out cotton top

I got rid of 4 unopened packs of matcha, it has always been an effort to drink bitter matcha tea. They are binned and so is the matcha paraphernalia like the whisk and measure

The last pan with non-stick coating has gone, not before I tested its replacement though. A uk made cast iron skillet

Dd would like my alessi storage jars and she is welcome, it is nice to see them all using glass rather than plastic. I am happy enough with my kilner jars

Gwyllt that sounds impossible, you are going to have to keep your head down and maybe secretly do item at a time. Harmony at home has to come first

I am finally clearing my loft!

As it happened, I am moving stuff from around the hatch first.
So it already looks quite improved.

Allsorts

I have tried and took three bags of clothes to a charity shop, I should never need to buy any more. I have about 20 handbags, none of them big enough to get all my stuff in, so virtually unused, why did I get them.
It's what to do with my Ercol furniture, it's in mint condition and I love it. I won't be taking it though. Also boxes of ornaments , not to my taste, Lladro etc. And copper, kettles etc all presents. Too good to just throw but I couldn't sell on line as get in a muddle buying on line.
Going to get ruthless now with my cooking utensils and gadgets

Ercol furniture is highly sort after. contact an auction house or join the Ercol FB group.

Allsorts is right, Humbertbear. Ercol furniture is very collectable. One DD has an Ercol dining table and chairs, which she loves.

Karma lady. You make it sound so easy A short time ago we had a skip Son and I did do some clearing of sheds. Genuinely it was building rubbish and tools to rusty or broken nature. Himself went skip diving , he played merry hell and sulked for ages.

We hope to do a car boot sale in a couple of weeks time, weather permitting.

Not expecting to make a fortune, but aim to clear a bit more ‘stuff’.

I do get the butterflies sometimes, when I think about my age (78) and my still full home but then I shake myself out of it and just carry on plodding

Yesterday, two good child stools, No-one needs them so I took the ash legs off for the fire next winter and the heavy painted mdf tops went to the skip. My small air fryer, used 3 times, that went onto the re-use table at the tip

A couple of tubes from my bedroom, almost empty but that will do. Soon it will be my old large, tabletop bp monitor which I am replacing with a small neat monitor

I am very grateful that I can still unearth things to go and that I have been able to de-clutter far more than I have brought in.

Clothes next, I am finding that particularly difficult but again, one item at a time. I just need to be aware of that sensation when I put it on. That vibe tells me but I need to listen