# Letting go Clutter- Redux



## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

I started a post 11 years ago and we revived it a bit last year. Time to start anew! What are you all doing to declutter your home, or are you already perfect  

The grandkid I hoped for is on its way, and we just agreed to get a house in that town a mile away from our daughter.

I know I am too messy and this place too cluttered to easily sell while we live here, and we are downsizing to 2/3 this place, so I will slowly move myself in time for grandbaby and leave DH here, trying to ensure only what we actually want and will use makes the move, and doing a final moving van and movers of the stuff I can't carry up in pickup and trailer at each visit to see grandbaby.

A realtor friend toured the house last year to give us an idea about selling it later. She told me just cleaning and decluttering would be all that was needed, but as DH said, "She lost you when she said 'Who needs 5 [liquid] measuring cups?' " You know who? Me, that's who! Anyway I'll take 2-3 of them on my first trip, see if I can live with that few, and until DH leaves the old place have about half my kitchen gear in each place; maybe I'll be willing to part with some of it after proving life is possible with that few kitchen tools. At least I'll still have room here; we were set earlier on a house where I expected to give up half my hobbies and half my kitchen appliances. 

Got DH to clean the 10-15 year old boxes and unused for 10 years holiday decorations from one side of the attic. Sort of feel like he will do nothing when I'm not here so really rather than nesting, I'm disassembling the nest as much as possible before I head off to close on house/ help at birth.

He is shocked every time I say "no we aren't bringing that" (3rd couch; damaged, huge desk; just a storage unit for me, rocking chair scratched to nubbins on rockers by long gone cats, piano we never play, rusty tool chest, etc..). I can only hope he will start similar downsizing. At least here he can cram all his gear if not all his clothes into the top floor 'family' room. Speaking of clothes, I want out of the lovely Captain's bed I got him 12 years ago. It's a long way to the floor and my feet or knees hurt 10% of the time I slide down to the floor especially in the middle of the night. If the spare bedroom (for guest or college kid) is big enough I might let him keep it there but many of our guests are also unsuited for a bed 4 feet off the ground. Guess the shelves will make up to the college kid for giving away her desk and dresser (which were juvenile items for big sis from 30 years ago) if DH doesn't fill them to the brim.

I have been composting books and paper since the used bookstores all closed and no one wanted free cycled romances (I do fill up all the Little Libraries near my usual routes). Still filling ditch with shredded paper and other waste paper- 4 bags this week sorting filing cabinet, also not going so hope to get down to 2 drawer type. Now have to worry about making ditch look nice for sale in the next several months- might haul in brush cuttings to hide it until it composts into the dirt, like I did Xmas trees this season. But not until I'm actually done shredding.


----------



## Rodeo's Bud (Apr 10, 2020)

We've been doing the same. 

Two big trailers of stuff from the shed and garage. Seems like bit didn't even make a dent.

I'm in full get rid of it mode these days. I don't want most of my stuff, so it's going.

Took a truck full of stuff to the Goodwill. It all still had Goodwill stickers on it from when we bought it.


----------



## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

The stickers got me. 🤣


----------



## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Covid stopped me from going to Thrift/Antique stores so that's helped a lot. Just because that jelly jar looked like what I drank out of when I was a kid 70+ years ago doesn't mean I have to have it!

The other thing I've instituted, is a thrift bag in my guest bedroom. Something doesn't fit right, look good or taking up space - in it goes - No second thoughts. And no rooting through it to take something back. That seems to be working for me as I've brought 3 bags to the thrift store so far.

I tried the rule of: if I bring something in the house, something has to go, but that didn't work too well. I just wandered around the house - unable to make a decision.

I have a sign in my kitchen that says "You can't have everything - where would you put it?" that I now just laugh at.....

Now If I can just figure out where to put this 112 year old sewing machine I was recently gifted after I repair it.....


----------



## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

I am still decluttering from my my son, who liked to start projects in my barn, and leave the pieces laying around. I am MUCH more of a minimalist than my wife, so there-in lies the problem.


----------



## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

I seriously think, if you haven't worn something in 13 years, you shouldn't think it's going to fit in the NEXT 13 years!

Mon


----------



## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

OK, OK. I'll start going through my closets this week. I have removed a ton of stuff so that the closets actually have plenty of room but I could do more.


----------



## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

Yesterday I worked my behind off- tummy ache not a hernia since back to normal today, so just more work than those muscles are used to. DH emptied another 1/3 of the attic and we identified everything else there to decide about/ to throw away. Lo and behold he discovers TWO printers one never used (think a friend passed it on) not to mention the huge old 18" thick TV. Took a pickup truck load to the thrift shop on post, tomorrow to Good Will with the stuff the military folk won't want. Today's project: my clothes closet. Time to get rid of those socks I never wear, the trousers that haven't fit for 10 years, the work clothing (with name tags ripped off). Plus run out and get a trailer full of wood chips before it rains.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Good for you!!!!


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Just a piece of advice to all those donating their stuff to thrift stores or GoodWill. If it's broke or battered, save them the effort and just throw it away. Pans with bolted on handles are the exception since those can be repaired, but please wash them first! Lately our thrift stores have been flooded with worn out bedding and ruined cookware.

Nobody wants the pressure cooker or frying pan with the warped bottom. Nobody wants your adorable figurine with the missing head. Just toss that now and save them the effort of putting it on the shelf where it sets forever.


----------



## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

I realised Goodwill takes books so they now have dozens from me and my mom. And I have been hanging out at Mom's house decluttering there prior to her move with us. She had an addiction to cook books- we already gave a few of her docs' offices a rouleaux of Cook's Magazines (I'm tempted to use their gorgeous food artwork covers for wall paper or framed pictures)- and I had the neighbor select all she wanted from my trunk prior to giving dozens to GW. Threw away an old presswood bookshelf that barely survived the last move. Anyway hope GW is not just tossing most of my donation.

She also has an extensive collection of left wing political and historical books. Duplicates of some! I got our local Dem Party librarian to come over to get a now empty solid pine bookshelf for their office, and Mom says she also took a whole lot of books for their library (hired some local kids to carry them all for her). Some of them would not have gone over well at the local (South Alabama) Goodwill  Guess I should review her non Xian religious books for a Buddhist friend and our local spiritual enrichment center- the church is Xian, I think, but the closest we have to Unitarians here, and would not mind books on other religions.

I am packing plastic crates with fabrics and dishes- just have to make sure I remember which ones have breakables wrapped up inside. And took that painful step of throwing out all those socks and undies I have kept in the drawer to always be rejected for the newer, better fitting ones. Now to see if I am willing to throw away my collection of cereal inside bags I save to use instead of wax paper. It is SOOO much better than wax paper, and I'm eating less cereal and crackers- I might have to buy a roll of wax paper if I don't take my stash of it with me!


----------



## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Wolf mom said:


> Now If I can just figure out where to put this 112 year old sewing machine I was recently gifted after I repair it.....


In my house...


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

@Jenn, our library accepts book donations for their friends of the library sales. The proceeds help the library buy more books and videos. You could ask your library if they accept donated books.


----------



## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> @Jenn, our library accepts book donations for their friends of the library sales. The proceeds help the library buy more books and videos. You could ask your library if they accept donated books.


I do this, but I think they push the emergency lockdown button now when they see my car pull in...


----------



## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

I just threw away my income tax filings (including medical bills and such) from 1984 to about 1995.

But, yeah, I kept the ones from about 1996 to 2021.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The IRS can go back to your first paycheck, 50 some years ago, if they believe fraud is involved. With the IRS, you didn't make a simple mistake. You intended to commit fraud.

I know people who were audited decades after the fact. When the IRS found out they still had the paperwork the cases were often dropped.


----------

