An idea about getting rid of ..."Clutter" pass it on, if it seems right for you

[Stuart G]

Here is link...20 things to throw out..Lots of good ideas here:

https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20892663,00.html


Clutter


"In the end, we are what we think about, and what we think about is heavily influenced by what we keep around us," says motivational speaker and life coach Gail Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things. She calls the things that neither serve a specific purpose nor exist to make you feel good "life plaque": "The more life plaque we pile around ourselves, the less we can focus on what we really care about," she explains. Not sure where to start? Toss things that annoy you every time you see them, like socks that have lost their match, or your overflowing kitchen junk drawer. No matter what you decide to throw out (or donate), your goal is to whittle the physical objects down to only items that help you feel energized and accomplish your goals.

[pangaia]

1. I occasionally remember to do this...

And anytime something comes INTO my home, something must go OUT.

When I remember.

[Stuart G]

2. I got stuff that has been sitting for years...I need to get rid of so much, ...that

...it is hard to know where to start. I'll send you some old books if you like...(very old books)

[pangaia]

15. Eh, no thanks.. A few months ago I took about a hundred to Salvation Army

Library didn';t want them

[exboyfil]

26. Turns out even thrift stores

don't take lots of books like textbooks. It actually can cost them money in some cases to dispose of them.

It feels brutal but often the best fate is down the recycle chute.

Now that my kids our out of college, no more books seem to be arriving in the house. Of course I also have a house of unread books and books from when I was a kid whose type is so small I really have difficulty reading it as well (cheap paperbacks).

I have been bad about purchasing discounted textbooks over time. Also since I have about 300 college credit hours, I have a huge number of books from those classes. In some cases I got a second textbook for a class my daughter was taking when she was away in college. I would work the problems as well and was a resource until she formed a study group. She doesn't seem to want her engineering books now. My younger daughter has a huge stack of nursing books. Also I don't think she uses them much. Editions change so quickly that value is almost nil.

[Demovictory9]

38. i love sightsavers..library books with big text. loooove them

[CrispyQ]

3. De-cluttering is a good feeling.

Years ago I had a storage unit we had so much stuff. When I told a friend about it, she laughed & said, "You'll die with that thing." I was determined then that I wouldn't. It took a summer of weekends, but I got rid of everything in there & only brought back a couple of boxes to the house.

The next year I de-cluttered the house. It can be overwhelming if you have a ton of stuff. I started with my bathroom closest where I keep health & beauty stuff along with my towels. The next weekend I did one half of my bedroom closet. I kept it up & by the end of the summer I had worked through my entire house & had given away boxes & boxes of decent stuff that I no longer used.

on edit: Find a place that gives away cardboard boxes. Then find a couple of places that take your stuff. That will motivate you.

[Stuart G]

5. Thank You for the ideas...But I got ........."stuff"

Stuff, stuff, stuff,
When is it enough?
You think you are through,
Then you get blue...
Because you find more stuff.

Stuff, stuff, stuff,
When is it enough?
It's piled on top of the floor,
And then you find more..
Yes, there is more stuff...

Stuff, stuff, stuff
When is it enough?
Would you like some old books?
From ten years ago? Thank You
Then, I will have less stuff!!!

[CrispyQ]

18. Cute poem. It does tend to overtake your space!

Get three boxes. One each for throw away, give away, & put away. As you go through your stuff you put it in one of those three boxes.

Another thing I do is grab a small box & set the timer for 5 minutes. Walk thorough the house & collect stuff you don't use. You'd be surprised how much little stuff you'll find that you wonder why you keep it.

I have a couple of thrift shops close by & drop stuff off to them whenever I have a box. Once you get a grasp on this, it will feel so good to lighten your load!

There are decluttering sites with lots of helpful hints. The ones above I got from flylady.net. Go get some cardboard boxes & get started!

[tblue37]

4. Many of us are so time pressed and exhausted that the problem is finding time

to go through the junk.

[FakeNoose]

6. My problem is that I buy too much STUFF

My house is full of stuff that I bought at one time or another. Also people give me stuff sometimes. But most of the clutter in my house is stuff I probably shouldn't have bought. But I did and now I can't throw it away. Why? Because some day I'll realize I really needed that thing that I threw away, and then I'll have to go buy it again.

It all comes down to figuring out one's priorities, and it's taken me most of 68 years to finally realize it. I really do want a clean and clutter-free house, but getting rid of so much stuff is the biggest hurdle. I can start by not buying stuff to begin with, and then slowly getting rid of what I've accumulated.

[Stuart G]

7. Well, I might add this:

YOU ARE NOT ALONE !!!!!!! :

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. There's a Netflix video by the latest decluttering rage, Marie Kondo,

which is actually pretty helpful. She recommends sorting your stuff by the type of stuff, not by the room, and you should start with clothes because that will free up closet space to start out with and give you a sense of accomplishment. So you take all your clothes out of your closets, put them in a pile and sort them. If an item doesn't "spark joy," give it away or throw it away. When you've finished with clothes, do the same thing with kitchen/dining room stuff, books, and personal items. I just gave away a whole bunch of clothes using this method.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. I have never met a book that didn't spark joy in me.

[USAF Brat]

12. I have never met pair of socks that spark joy.

Yet, I need those socks when it's cold outside and my feet are cold. But that will never spark joy in me. Same for mouthwash. Never will it spark joy. Frustration maybe, but not joy. And I will keep it because my teeth need it despite it hurting my tongue to use it. The same again with clothes. I, unfortunately, have no ball gowns - which do spark so much joy in me - because I will never attend a ball! But I have plenty of good sturdy, long-lasting clothes that do the job I need them to do. Do I like my clothes? Sure, but they don't really spark any joy at all. So if I got rid of everything in the closet that did not spark joy I would have literally nothing to wear but a few items of clothing unsuitable for daily living. And no shoes to wear because I have D+ width feet and having shoes that spark joy and shoes that fit is a ven diagram that is very, very tiny. So tiny I have never had a pair of shoes that really sparked joy!

Now, having said all that, I am not anti-declutter! I just think a better methodology than "it sparks joy" is needed or you will not end up owning things that serve you, and you will end up serving them instead.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. Whatever works for you.

I took "spark joy" to mean that it's actually a thing I like as opposed to a thing I don't care about or have no use for. It applies best to personal stuff, like family heirlooms, old photographs or collections. Does your grandmother's china set spark joy because it's beautiful and it reminds you of Grandma, or is it just gathering dust in a cabinet and is never used? My rule of thumb about clothes is that if I haven't worn it in a year (with a few exceptions) I probably won't wear it again and it can go out.

[yellowdogintexas]

23. buy a pair of Bombas and you will have joy!

heels don't sag
no awful seams in the toe
many styles for all
lots of colors
built in extra support under the arch
soft cotton ( there are also wool blends)
hiking, walking, gripper soles etc in addition to daily wear

For every pair purchased, another pair is donated to homeless shelters

https://bombas.com/

I'm tossing a bunch of socks because I discovered these.

Sorry for the blatant plug

[ms liberty]

29. Totally this! They really are great socks, my MIL gave me some. n/t

[exboyfil]

27. My wardrobes as my weight increases

Darn it I am going to get back into those suits if it kills me.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. LOL, I gave up on that a long time ago.

I have a magic closet that causes my clothes to shrink if they hang in there for awhile. Damned if I know what's causing that.

[Rollo]

9. Clutter sucks...

It takes up more than space... it takes up time because you have to search for one item buried under the clutter.

It saps your energy because you have to navigate around the clutter.

That said.... I've been waiting for my retirement later this year to clean out as much of the clutter around here as I can.

Some will just have to go into a dumpster. I'm going to take as much as I can to places like Goodwill.

It does take time to accumulate the stuff. It will take time to get rid of it. But I think the time that remains will be so much more pleasant.

[CrispyQ]

19. And sometimes you buy a new gadget, cuz you couldn't find the gadget that you own.

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. My clutter and depression are a vicious circle

One feeds the other.

[marked50]

13. I have sort of a corollary on this topic.

Not only is it important to de-clutter to improve your life but take stock of how many reciprocating engines you have. The fewer the better because they all require a high degree of attention, like changing oil or proper fuel. Many people have multiple cars, a boat or 2, a lawnmower, a chainsaw, a weed wacker, a chipper shredder, etc. They all add to ones stress- esp when they don't work right.

I have added to this another constant source of stress that needs reduction. Take stock of how many things you have that require batteries. They all need to be replaced or recharged at some time. The more you have the more things won't work when you need them without some sort of special attention. Reduce the load.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. I'm not too overloaded with reciprocating engines.

I have one car and one sailboat (the sailboat does have a small outboard motor, used only for getting in and out of the marina), and all other gadgets (a couple of saws, weed whacker) are electric. I don't have a lawn; the whole yard is a grass-free garden so there's no need for a lawn mower. I also have an emergency radio with a crank. However, there are a lot of things that need batteries, like clocks, watches and cat toys. So I just buy the big 9-volt, AA and AAA battery packages at Costco so I have enough for most of the things that need them.

[CrispyQ]

20. ...and cat toys.

My cats love these. You need a big smooth floor space, though.

https://www.hexbug.com/pettoy

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. We did have a robotic mouse (I don't know where it went).

Those Hexbugs look interesting. Thanks for the link!

[yellowdogintexas]

24. We are very enthusiastic fans of electric lawnmowers!

We have a relatively small yard, so a couple of 100 foot extension cords do the trick.

they are:
lightweight and easily to maneuver
instantly turn off just by releasing your grip on the handle
no maintenance at all
ours has a grass catcher
so much quieter
No starters to deal with; ours has a lever that fits under the hand grip

[Texasgal]

17. Before my husband passed away

and he was too sick to work, we sold our home and downsized.

We went from 2700 sqft to 900 sqft. It took months to go through our big house, but we donated and donated more. We recycled a lot and threw away the rest.

I was afraid that I'd be sad.... but honestly it was so freeing! Almost cathartic! I realized I just didn't need all that space and I certainly didn't need all that STUFF!

The plus for me is a smaller space to clean and keep up with!

[CrispyQ]

21. If you can find a copy of this book, I thought it was life-changing.

Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic - on Amazon

It's worth it, if only for the David Horsey cartoons!

[yellowdogintexas]

25. I get periodic emails from a few non profits around the area

Leukimia Lymphoma, Disabled Veterans and one more;
Leukimia is driving by on Saturday and I am hoping to have a large supply of clothing for them. Now that I do not work I don't need a lot of what is in my closet.

They take household items too. I have an older set of cookware that can go and a few other items.

Our church mission takes paperback books for the homeless folks..lots of them (especially the men) like to read stuff like Clancy, Ludlum etc.

Our library takes donations and sells them online.

I started converting to Kindle about 5 years ago, and I don't think I have purchased even a dozen actual books since then. I have a ton of stuff on my Kindle - lots of really cheap and free books from sites like BookBub - I've found some excellent series this way and added ebook versions of a few of my favorites (Bronte sisters complete works, Shirley Jackson compendium, some Wodehouse, all the existing A Song of Ice and Fire [it was on a deep sale for all 5)

[exboyfil]

31. Best thing about the Kindle

Is the ability to increase the font size. My old paperbacks are no longer readable. Boy that was tiny font.

Another nice feature is that the computer generated voice for the Fire gives you an audiobook as well. The narration is actually pretty good. I usually read on a traditional Kindle E Ink because it is better for the eyes.

I have two Fire tablets and two older Kindle E Ink. Don't ask why I have two of both (I thought the Fire was lost but it showed up again and I thought I had killed the other by leaving it in the cold). I also have a 1st Generation Ipad that I use to read comics who only have a full page option.

Both of my Kindle E Inks are stocked to the brim with books. A little trick if you join Kindle Unlimited is downloading ten books before pulling the plug on the service. So long as you stay in airplane mode, those books are still available.

[zipplewrath]

28. Not really any stuff

" Toss things that annoy you "

Problem is, the only things in my house that annoy me, are things the spouse LIKES.

[exboyfil]

32. Try being married to a hoarder

and I am a near hoarder. My house is not pretty.

[Stuart G]

30. Here is a 10 minute video that could help you organize..and throw out stuff...you tube..

[Iggo]

34. I have un-opened boxes in my garage that have survived three moves.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

35. I finally got rid of those boxes, but it took a long time

and a major remodel that required me to empty my attic.

[zipplewrath]

36. 50 years

I was helping my mother go through boxes, after she moved into a small apartment. I opened one box and she didn't remember saving any of it. It took a little time, but I ultimately determined that this was stuff we had moved to our house from HER mothers house, 50 friggin' years ago. It had lain unopened all those years. Oh, and this was my mothers SECOND move since the house.

It did offer some treasures though. There was the invitation to tea in the White House from Elanor Roosevelt. I asked my mother about this. Was it some 400 person schtick where you all stood there while Roosevelt walked in, you had a sip of tea, she spoke, and then left. Nope. It was her, the first lady, and 3 other girls her age for about an hour and a half. At which point I had to ask, why, in my 55 years had I never heard of this, ever. Do you know the history papers in high school I could have gotten out of this?

[Demovictory9]

39. wow..about Eleanor Roosevelt. the newspaper lining my moms boxes was interesting to read

newspaper ads from jim crow years..job ads for white women only or "colored" girls

[Stuart G]

37. Here is a link to a long New York Times article on this topic..New 3/29/19

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/realestate/the-gurus-of-tidiness-if-you-like-marie-kondo.html

written by By Ronda Kaysen

This article discusses at length the topic of de cluttering, and also gives names of other experts in this field Also
some background on the topic, as well as other sources of information. Long article, but it may give you an idea that might help..Even one helpful idea, could help start the process. I just came back from the library, 10 minutes ago, and took out Marie Kondo's book.. "the life-changing magic of tidying up"

I have read a few pages, but time will tell if I am ready for this job...Oh MY...

.........Would anyone like some old
books that I got from college...maybe 50 years ago???