Interior Space - The Other Final Frontier (Decluttering progress reports)

[spncity]

Another thread caught my eye - of course I personalized it to my situation as one is wont to do.

So - how are you doing on your decluttering/organizing/down-sizing goals? Report in...!

For those who were done long ago, what motivational tips do you have for the rest of us? Repetition acceptable as it can take awhile to sink in - and I find I'm receptive to ideas at different stages of the process.

Here's my update:

Have had some long overdue interior painting done. In those rooms, moved only a portion of the "stuff" back in. Try to be ruthless about getting rid of the rest. Sell a few things by placing at the end of the driveway. Putting a few things at the end of the driveway with a "free" sign on them. They disappear within hours.

I am discovering "that thing" others talk about - that living with less stuff is refreshing (still have too much stuff though).

Taking photos of things with memories/emotional ties before moving them out of the house to Goodwill/recycle/shred/trash helps. But I need another flurry of productivity...

Comments anyone?

Kindest regards.

 

[Meadbh]

I need to be vigilant about preventing a relapse. On a recent road trip I bought a limited edition print and a handcrafted bowl. They are both unique, but something else has got to go!

 

[photoguy]

For those who were done long ago, what motivational tips do you have for the rest of us? Repetition acceptable as it can take awhile to sink in - and I find I'm receptive to ideas at different stages of the process.

We made a spreadsheet tracking stuff we sold over the course of a year or two. Initially we set a goal of 5k in sales but we managed to get over 10k.

 

[FIREd]

We downsized in a big way 2.5 years ago. Now we just have to make sure that clutter does not creep back in. I try to apply the "one item comes in, one item goes out" rule and I think we are doing very well.

The living room/dining room area could use a bit more "clutter" though as it looks kinda bare now. DW was noting last weekend that it reminded her of our grad school apartment, when we had little furniture and little money to decorate.

 

[John Galt III]

Brought myself to click open an old 3-ring binder and remove about 3 pounds of pages expounding on Client / Server operations, methods, technologies, etc, etc, etc. Added the 3 pounds to the paper recycling container for the recycling guys to pick up. Kept the binder. These binders cost $4.95 at Walmart !

 

[DFA]

Brought myself to click open an old 3-ring binder and remove about 3 pounds of pages expounding on Client / Server operations, methods, technologies, etc, etc, etc. Added the 3 pounds to the paper recycling container for the recycling guys to pick up. Kept the binder. These binders cost $4.95 at Walmart !

Did the same thing, but now I have a couple of boxes of binders that we are not using, so I guess they go in the next garage sale.

 

[Silver]

Our house had wall-to-wall carpet that was starting to wear, so we just replaced it with wood flooring. Everything was replaced except the two bathrooms, kitchen and front entry hall which are tiled.

Since we had to pick up and move about 85% of what we own, this has been a wonderful opportunity to get rid of stuff. Goodwill got most of it (clothes, knicky-knacky stuff, and two large bookcases). We have a wonderful community library, and we donated maybe 70-80 books to them.

My decision making about what to keep was simple. If I needed it or loved it, it stayed. Anything else was at risk. This felt like a really good way to look at life now.

With bright shiny new floors and more space I love my "old" house.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

When I retired this past July, I started off like a ball of fire with the decluttering. Things have petered out however. I have an unexpected houseguest coming later this month and an expected houseguest in November. Plus I have two short Road Scholar trips scheduled. So long as the guest room and bath are in good order I am taking a breather but will likely take the task up again in the spring.

 

[Walt34]

DW has been going like gangbusters on this for the past week. The trash pile out front tomorrow morning is going to be huge.

 

[Ronstar]

I need to declutter the house and workshop. Workshop first- scrap wood clutter just got to the point that it jammed my garage door and sprung the spring. But scrap lumber is hard to part with - I never know when I'll need some


Sent from my iPhone .using Early Retirement .//82339)

 

[spncity]

I need to declutter the house and workshop. Workshop first- scrap wood clutter just got to the point that it jammed my garage door and sprung the spring. But scrap lumber is hard to part with - I never know when I'll need some

Sent from my iPhone .using Early Retirement .//82339)

Very true. Our parents' model for this problem is... just build another storage shed out back.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I had a setback. I was going around to thrift shops and garage sales furnishing an apartment for one of the kids and I picked up some stuff for me I could not resist.

 

[Live And Learn]

When I downsized I went room by room. I took everything out of the closets, drawers, cabinets. Using the skills I learned watching "Hoarders: Buried Alive", I separated everything into 3 piles "Trash, Donate, Keep". To decide what went into Keep I asked myself "if it broke would you care ?". If it was something that would bring great sorry, or would need to be replaced it was a Keeper. Everything else was Donate or Trash.

I was pretty ruthless. I kept 2 sets of sheets per bed. I had sheet sets that were 20 years old and hadn't been used in 10 years ! Yes, they are in perfect condition, but they weren't useful to me.

Now my house contains only things I care about and bring a smile.

I am low on "home decor", and most walls are bare, but it doesn't bother me since that was always low on my priority list.

 

[manerac]

The best (and only) New Years resolution I ever made: Make sure the trash can is full every Thursday night.

 

[unclemick]

Plugging away. Katrina helped on my side. Recently remarried we have been burdening the younger generation on her side - cousins and children of the deceased husband with stuff or at least right of first refusal before 'the pickers', or usual DAV, Good Will, and Salvation Army.

Our neighborhood puts out 'stuff' the day before the trash service for perusal and salvage. Metal goes the fastest but other odds and ends sometimes also.

heh heh heh - this thread reminds me - back to the upstairs closets, basement, garage and tool shed. Keep plugging away.

 

[pb4uski]

I need to declutter the house and workshop. Workshop first- scrap wood clutter just got to the point that it jammed my garage door and sprung the spring. But scrap lumber is hard to part with - I never know when I'll need some


Sent from my iPhone .using Early Retirement .//82339)

Very true. Our parents' model for this problem is... just build another storage shed out back.

My solution is going to the local lumberyard and get what I need when I need it and living without the clutter. (That said, I do keep a bit of scrap lumber around).

Generally I have a number of decision rules for clutter. Have I used this item in the last year? If not, do I anticipate using it in the next year? If not, is it particularly valuable? If not, does it have significant sentimental value? If not, then donate or recycle or trash, as applicable.

 

[brett]

We sold our large home. Ordered an 8x8x16 container to be delivered to the driveway. We only kept what fit in the container. Everything else was given away or sent to Goodwill. We travelled for seven months. Unpacked in our rental unit nine months later and gave away even more things that we did not need.

So now, when we buy a book and finish with it we either give it to a friend or immediately donate it to the library. Just one small change in our lifestyle. We no longer have the same amount of wall space so we are much more selective.

We also moved as many transactions as possible on line. After shredding so many financial records we are determined not to go back to our old ways of keeping every piece of paper.