February Decluttering

[Kat]

Hi all! New month, new thread! :-)

As usual, my goal for the month is 100 items. We started cleaning out the storage/sewing room today and let go of the following:

2 games
3 pairs of shoes
a bunch of tulle
some fabric scraps
some leftover batting
a phone book
1 shirt
1 flannel jacket
2 pairs of jeans
a dining room table
a microwave cart
6 picture frames
6 art prints

We aren't done yet, so hopefully there is some more that can go! Feels really good to clear out the furniture, though!

Total for the month: 27

[Blackdog Lin]

Sending you good wishes for you to meet your goal Kat.

My February goal is cleaning and organizing one fairly large closet, and the defrosting and organizing of the back porch freezer. I post it here to help keep me honest and my eye on the goal.

[MamaM]

I lost count but just imagine a HUGE black leaves trash bag FILLED almost to the top...x3. :cool:

[larknm]

Inspired by Lucas' success, on another thread here, I took clothes that don't fit or are extraneous to the women's shelter yesterday.

[earthshepherd]

We are getting ready for major downsizing/decluttering. Starting on books today. I didn't realize how long I have had most of my books -- and hardly ever look at them anymore, in the advent of computering and Kindle. The decluttering thread has been an inspiration to me for some time now, so...here goes!!

I shall report back!

[cdttmm]

I'm inspired by Kat's goal of decluttering 100 items each month, so I'm going to adopt that as my goal. So far I have a bag of clothing with 21 items in it ready to go to the thrift store. I want to reach 25 items before I drop it off so need to find a few more things to add to the bag today!

I should probably declutter books next, but I really struggle with letting go of books... :|(

[Kat]

You guys are doing great! I need to go through my books again, too, earthshepherd!

Well, I am at 33 items. I don't know what happened to my post documenting that, but that is where I will be starting my count when I get around to decluttering again! :-)

[Kat]

Weeded out 23 recipes I know I won't get around to trying. DD also broke one of her dress up bracelets, so I threw that away.

Total: 57

[cdttmm]

I felt inspired today and went through the storage bin that contains all the ribbons and bows for gift wrapping purposes. I threw out a bunch of Christmas bows that had seen better days and sorted and organized everything else. Or so I thought. Shortly after I was finished I discovered another stash of gift wrapping supplies in another spot in the house. <Sigh.> I guess I'll have to continue on that decluttering project later this week. But at least I got started and getting started on those types of projects is always the hardest step for me so I should be pleased that I'm making progress! :cool:

[Kat]

Got movin' on my bedroom today, thanks to a thread ejchase posted over on the Organization board. Let go of:

1 hamper
1 fish bowl
2 shirts
5 puzzle books
7 books for reading

Total: 73

Hopefully I find more things that can go! :-)

[dogmom]

Hello there
I'm new on the forum and new to decluttering - it's fun isn't it. Today I decluttered my email inbox - I deleted all posts older than one year ago - funny how you have to overcome that 'but what if I want to look at it again' thought - utter nonsense - why would I want to look at things which are more than a year out of date?

[saverchic]

I just found this post...I'm new. So, I decluttered the counter in my bathroom. The only things left are a bar of soap, my jewelry box, and a bottle of perfume I'm planning on giving away. Nice to have a clear surface, but must get rid of the perfume!

[fidgiegirl]

Nice work, all! Nothing to report here, really, but deriving inspiration from all of you as well as from my sister who has decluttered for a move - like, gone from normal living to staged for sale in three days! All her junk got schlepped to her in-laws in her new town, though, so it will be short lived. Sure looks nice right now, though!

[try2bfrugal]

I haven't counted how many items I have gotten rid of but it has been a lot. Each day I watch a few episodes of the Clean House show on Netflix for inspiration. I have also been watching youtube videos on minimal living. Today we took a big box of stuff to Goodwill and had several boxes of cardboard and shredded paper for the recycling center. We have been dejunking the garage and it feels good. I actually am beginning to see the light at the end of the clutter tunnel now.

This weekend I pitched my high school year books. That was rather monumental for me since I have been toting them through various cross country moves for several decades now. I guess that is a big decision not so much because they meant a lot to me but they are something I could not replace if I changed my mind. Well, they are gone now and so far no regrets. High school was not any particularly important time of my life so I don't know why I kept the books so long.

Kelli - We have noticed that the houses in our neighborhood that sell for the highest price per square foot look great, are staged well, and have about 1/3 to 1/2 the furniture and other possessions of the houses that sell for less. The dining rooms often will have a table and chairs and nothing else.

I am looking forward to someday having 1/2 as much stuff as we used to have and reducing our housing costs by fitting comfortably in a smaller home or townhouse.

[try2bfrugal]

We unloaded the big artificial, Christmas tree today. For next year I want to have some kind of slow growing, dwarf evergreen tree in a pot on the patio and just bring it inside and decorate it for Christmas.

[Blackdog Lin]

Way to go everyone on gettin' stuff done!

I accomplished (with DH's help) 50% of my February goals: we got the freezer defrosted yesterday. It was a truly-pain-in-the-butt job, which explains why I always put it off for too long. Finding room in all the other freezer spaces for everything, hauling heavy loads of stuff to the garage freezer, playing tetris with fitting items into the other freezer, getting a fan out and watching the (overflowing) melted-water containers and laying towels, then air-drying the (freezing) towels outside.....pain in the butt, I tell you.

But it's done and I feel good about it. Next up: that closet! I'm down to 2 weeks, gotta get it done to reach my goal of the end of the month.....

[try2bfrugal]

We recycled a chest freezer and a couple of old PCs today. We are trying to make do with just the freezer part of out freezer / fridge. We had a smaller freezer section with our old fridge, so we used to need the separate freezer. But now we have a large side by side fridge and freezer, so it was time for the old chest freezer to go. We did a test run of having it sit unplugged for a few months and found we could get by without it.

[Rosemary]

I've been doing some decluttering of my computer use. I unsubscribed from a slew of lists, decreased my news RSS feed by half, and cut my nonproductive internet time allowance in half with LeechBlock.

[LilyB]

I spent the last Thursday decluttering paperwork in Mom's den. My husband has always said that I keep papers far beyond there usefulness. Now I know where I get it from. 2 large black garbage bags of no longer needed papers, shredded and trashed. I should have recycled it but the only pickup in her town was not until the end of March. :(

Having learned my lesson from Mom's clutter, I spent today cleaning out my files. One whole drawer is now empty, and the bag shredded paper is waiting to be used in our garden as mulch. The colored and glossy stuff is in a huge basket that DH plans to take to the recycling center in our area. And this is from only ONE file drawer.:|(

[try2bfrugal]

This past year we put up solar lights for Christmas with great success, so today we took all of the plug in electric outdoor Christmas lights to Goodwill along with a lot of decorations. I can't believe how many outdoor lights we had. It was like the Griswald's house in Christmas Vacation. We still have another car trip full of Christmas and Halloween decorations and even some more lights to go. We'll keep a few decorations per holiday, the solar lights and that will be it from now on.

The stuff was not only taking up storage space, but the I like the idea of not having so many holiday decorations. It had really become a chore to put everything up and then take it all down. Plus those lights must have really used up the electricity. I am so glad we are focusing more on simple living these days. We've gotten rid of a ton of stuff this past year between the neighborhood garage sale, Goodwill and the recycling center and yet we still have a lot of stuff that needs to go.

Weird that we haven't missed a thing we sold or gave away. It just feels good having less clutter to look at.

[cdttmm]

I decluttered 8 books yesterday by donating them to the library book sale. Of course, then I bought a book at the book sale so I'm really only down 7 books. Books are my weakness so this was pretty huge for me!

[LilyB]

Today I filled three boxes with donations and we will drop them at Goodwill on our way out tomorrow. Gone are:

1 crockpot
2 bags of baby-proofing supplies
a wooden toddler puzzle
2 sets of Tonka toddler cars and trucks
1 beaded embroidery kit
1 cross-stitch kit
25 paperback books
3 Beanie Babies
10 Christmas decorations
2 sets of children's dishes
2 baby gates

I guess I finally realized that our dear granddaughters are too old for all the stuff I thought I should save for them.

Almost forgot:

1 coffee table and 1 end table that we rarely used and were just magnets for papers and junk. These are going to sit at the end of our driveway with a "FREE" sign.

[Kat]

Am in the process of switching out DD's clothes. I packed up all of her 18 month clothes and am filling up her dresser with her 24 month clothes. In the process, I let go of two pairs of tights and two tops that are past their prime.

Total: 77

If I am going to meet my goal this month, I had better get moving. Maybe tomorrow I will attack the bathroom. That is always a good place to purge (stuff, I mean!). ;)

[Kat]

LilyB and cdttmm--you guys are rocking it with the books! I need to comb through mine again! :-)

[HomemadeChange]

I took some glasses to the consignment shop a few days ago and they sold so I was able to purchase new, more appropriate sized ones for "free" :).

[fidgiegirl]

I need to package it up, but am piling up clothes that I am no longer enamored with on the bed in the guest room. Funny how when you think about it, there is always more to send packing. As I wear things that make me tug at them, I am making a mental note and throwing them right in the giveaway after they are laundered.

[Kat]

Out today:

Phone book
Gift bag
The shoe dh had to wear when he broke his foot

Total: 80

[cdttmm]

Packed up 13 more items for donation today. Now just need to get over to the thrift store to drop them off. Mostly clothes, but also a few household items.

[Tussiemussies]

Wow, you all are doing so great. :). It's inspiring! We're unpacking still. So far there are a few books to donate, but we have all those boxes we have to go through once the house is set-up and ready for company.:)

[Kat]

16 clothing items

Total--96

So close! Must find four more things today or tomorrow!

[cdttmm]

16 clothing items

Total--96

So close! Must find four more things today or tomorrow!

Kat, you are amazing! Go, go, go!!!

[Tussiemussies]

So great Kat you have really stuck to your goal. I hope you find those few things fast!!!

[LilyB]

My sister and I did this one together.

I went through 2 boxes of stuff, mostly paper but other junk too. I tossed what I knew was garbage (Mom does NOT need expired coupons from 2011 and fuzzy printouts from my accident. Heck these are on her computer too if we ever feel the need to look them over!), and DH put it out for recycling and garbage collection.

There was another full shopping bag of papers that I wasn't sure about, and Sis is going to sort and file what she needs for Mom's insurance claims etc. and shred the rest.

One more bag of trash...trashed.

[larknm]

This is so cool you're going through this with others, not alone.

[Kat]

DH purged a pair of pants. I found yet another puzzle book, and since I have puzzles on my Kindle, I decided to let it go. I also found three more socks and a baby mitten without mates, so out those go, too.

Total: 102

Phew! Barely made it! I'm going to try to forget that tomorrow is a new month and I'll be starting at zero again. ;-)

[fidgiegirl]

Yeah, Kat! Kat, Kat, Kat!! Gooooooooooooo Kat!!!!

[ejchase]

Congratulations, Kat!!! You did it.

For whatever it's worth, 100 items in a month is super-impressive, but I don't think the decluttering Gods will strike you down with lightning or anything if you set a goal of 50 for March. I hope this doesn't sound unsupportive, but one of the things I've noticed about what helps me stick to goals is easing up on them when I start to sense I've set the bar so high that it's stressing me out a little.

My decluttering goal for the year is 500 items total and while sometimes I think I should aim higher (and maybe I will - I figure I can always change it in September if I want!), it gives me some elbow room - a little space to slack off here and there, which I find I really need.

But I do know that everybody knows best what works for them. Just a thought.

[cdttmm]

Great job, everyone! I managed to finally bring my bag of decluttered items to the thrift store today. I'm including them in February's count even though today starts a new month since I had actually packed everything up days ago, just didn't get to the actual dropping off part until today.

[try2bfrugal]

We sold our entire rock collection to a dealer. It felt good going to a show and asking the dealers if they wanted to buy any rocks instead of bringing home more. We see ourselves maybe traveling in retirement so we don't want to lug around boxes of rocks.

Today I took 4 boxes of stuff from the garage to Goodwill - mostly holiday decorations. There was a lot of stuff I didn't even remember buying.

We try to spend an hour or so a day dejunking. It is scary how much stuff we have gotten rid of and yet still have a lot to go. We looked at new houses last week we liked for potential downsizing that were 500 - 1000 sq feet less than we have now so more stuff is going to have to go.

[Tussiemussies]

Kat, that is so great that you reached your goal! :cool: