Getting rid of clutter/minimalism

[Freesia]

I would be interested to read about anyone who has managed to reduce the number of possessions, or has managed to organise their stuff well.

This also helps save money as you end up knowing what you have, and not buying as much stuff as not to add to things.... but of course has the benefit of added space.

 

[Pickle Juice]

Well when I lived on a houseboat I had to do without a lot of stuff. However, because I would put things in storage depending on the season, I ended up with more clothing and shoes than I realized. I had a very small closet for clothes, so had to put summer stuff in storage and bring out the winter gear, and vice versa. Once I moved here and got all my shoes in one place I realized I had acquired over 70 pairs.

It did make me think about what was most important to me, which turned out to be a few of my grandfather's paintings, and my books.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I try to have a sort through my stuff every so often but it all seems to accumulate again. I'm trying to organise my small kitchen at the moment and create more space on a budget! There are helpful articles online and there are some videos on youtube where people give you tips. I love to watch things like that.

 

[AeryFairy]

I kind of hoard stuff. I very rarely throw anything out, ever. It's a problem I'm trying to work on in time for when I move flat, because I'll then have to make room for all my boyfriend's things as well ><

 

[KLS52]

I could benefit from some advice too. I do well for a month or do but things get out if hand and I'm back on a state of disarray. I have way too many "bins" loaded with stuff...a lot of it papers, mail that I'm not if I should throw out, magazines I haven't read yet, etc. The bins are out of sight, either under the bed or in the attic. But then I can't find stuff when I need it and spend hours sifting through it all.

 

[Moll Flanders]

When I try to declutter I usually work out what I really want to keep and what can be sent to a charity shop or to a recycling centre or sold on ebay. I got rid of all my books as I use my kindle instead.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I tend to collect stuff, but every once in a while it starts to get to me. About twice a year I get an itch to declutter, so I'll go through closets and whatnot to sort things out. Sometimes I will sell things in a yard sale, though this has led to having a constant "garage sale" pile in my garage.
This Spring I cleaned out my clothes closet and donated about two trash bags worth of clothes to a local homeless shelter. I also took quite a few books to the used bookstore.

I've been trying to be better about not buying/accumulating new things this year, as well.

 

[peacefulveglady]

Since our eviction and move last year we have two storage units, and a second bedroom full of crap and boxes to go through, since then we been having health issues and teeth issues that we are delayed of going through stuff, I have stuff in the storage unit packed up that I would like to wear, use, read, also get rid of but, since it turned very hot I am afraid we will be delayed unless we can get into a house real soon. We were living in a three bedroom one half bath house with a garage when my Step MIL evicted us last year, we were to get out and or the cops would put us out, so we had to pack up our stuff as fast toss them in storage units and now our stuff is all over the place because we are in a very old duplex with two bedrooms and even that is bad because we are used to a house with a garage and storage unit in back and an extra bedroom.
So when it cools down some we are going to declutter the duplex first go through boxes and then rearrange or I just want to wait for the house whom knows.

 

[Forster]

I'm not bad at organizing but I suck at clutter.

 

[kazyeeqen]

I live in a small house. I still have more stuff than I need, but not as much as I could have if I had a bigger house...

 

[peacefulveglady]

Yes we downsized on force last year and now we are so confused what is where and what we have don't have, that is why we are hoping soon to get into a bigger place so we can stretch out a big and go through stuff. This is not a bad duplex but we need an extra few rooms.

 

[Forster]

I live in a small house. I still have more stuff than I need, but not as much as I could have if I had a bigger house...

And that is exactly the problem, at least for me. My crap tends to fill up whatever space I have available. My house is modest sized, but my garage is huge both are stuffed.

 

[kibbleforlola]

Every so often, I go through our junk to see what can stay and what can go. I think I have a mild form of ocd, and once junk has built up it sends me into shutdown-mode. The problem is, bf is a tinkerer. This means every time I put together a box for goodwill/garage sale, bf ends up going through it and "rediscovering" all this "great" stuff. And he'll be 'oh, I can fix this! I just glue this to this and wire this' and so on. So it ends up all over the house again, sometimes in pieces.

I have put my foot down, though. We are moving at the end of the summer, and I told him I'm not packing up junk we don't use just to unpack it and let it sit in a closet. That's stupid to move junk. So I told him we each have to come up with 50 things for a garage sale/goodwill, and each have to come up with 25 things that are so far gone they just need to be recycled.

I also am mindful not to *take* junk. If we are at a fair or somewhere they are giving out trinkets (keychains, etc.) I don't let them give me one. That stuff is just going to end up in a landfill sooner or later.

 

[peacefulveglady]

Yes we wanted to pack slowly last year but the wicked witch of the family wanted us out of my FIL's house which he wasn't even living in it anyhow, they are now renting the house for 300 more then its worth and they found a new person to rent while we were still living in the house. We both are still not over what happend last year and still healing.

 

[Forster]

How can they possibly rent the house for $300 more than it's worth? Anyway, let what happened go, wallowing in bitterness, resentment and hurt won't do you any good and it won't change anything.

 

[peacefulveglady]

yes I agree things are about to change soon I am feeling it but i am glad we are out of there because now they are renting to a young couple with three dogs and one of the dogs bites people . These kids and dogs are tearing up the house.

 

[Pickle Juice]

You have to be ruthless, and many people who give advice on reducing clutter say to make either a six months or one year rule, and stick to it. If you haven't used the item in six months, or a year, it goes. The only stuff this needn't apply to is heirlooms or stuff with serious sentimental value.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I have a friend who is really good at keeping out the clutter, and she does three piles: 1) keep, I use all the time 2) do not want and 3) everything else.

The everything else pile she'll leave for a day or so, then sort through again. She also applies the "If it hasn't been used in six months, toss" rule; as well as the "if I bring something in, something must go out" rule.

 

[Lord Snot]

We're not too bad at hoarding. I go through my books and DVDs every few months and donate the ones that I know I won't use again.

The only things that get shoved to the back of cupboards and forgotten about is non-perishable food and medicines.

 

[Moll Flanders]

You have to be ruthless, and many people who give advice on reducing clutter say to make either a six months or one year rule, and stick to it. If you haven't used the item in six months, or a year, it goes. The only stuff this needn't apply to is heirlooms or stuff with serious sentimental value.

I struggled with giving away old clothes as I thought if I lost 30 lbs then I would wear that again. I gave away lots of clothes this year as I bought smaller wardrobes and I have only a few outfits now. I'm wearing a turquoise skirt with a red vest top at the moment. Mmm, stylish.