Decluttering thread!

[Michele123]

Drcluttrred our tiny bathrooms last week and it feels sooo nice. I want to try a yard sale before donating, but feel a bit intimidated. Does anyone have any tips? Is it easy enough to throw together for next weekend?


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[2sunshines]

Originally Posted by Michele123

Drcluttrred our tiny bathrooms last week and it feels sooo nice. I want to try a yard sale before donating, but feel a bit intimidated. Does anyone have any tips? Is it easy enough to throw together for next weekend?


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I've done lots of yard sales and have had lots of success. That said, I don't do them anymore. But I think I"m just too old and tired.

Your success is going to depend on a few factors. Do you live in a high traffic area or at least an area close enough to high traffic that you can effectively advertise? Our old house totally was and it was perfect for garage sales. I never even needed to advertise, just set up, and I drew in tons of people. I now live in the country so it's more difficult to draw people.

You can advertise your sale for free online, such as craigslist, or even facebook garage sale groups. I know that's the main place I look for garage sale listings.

Price your items clearly and to sell. Personally, I don't mess around with trying to get top dollar for items, even if I feel they are worth it. I'd rather get a lesser amount now than have something still sitting at the end of the sale.

And yes, you can do it!!!! My fave garage sale prep are those that I decide to do in an very short time frame. Doesn't drag it out. It's fairly easy to find countless things throughout the house to add to it. I always keep adding throughout the sale -- selling inspires me to sell more.

[Michele123]

Well, no yard sale yet, but I'm working on my kitchen now. I've sold several things on a local Facebook page and am hoping to sell more. I'm exhausted but finally feel like I'm getting close. I'm hoping to be done by the end of the week!

I got one counter completely cleared off and it has stayed clean! When there aren't appliances or anything else cluttering the counter space, DH completely cleaned up the space after using it when he cooked me a Mother's Day dinner on Sunday. He usually doesn't get things all that clean because it is hard to see what needs to be cleaned verses what stays on the counter. I'm hoping to get everything off the counters except the microwave (too big & heavy to move to the counter for every use). I wish I had taken a before photo but I'll share an after when I'm done. I think this room will have the biggest effect on me and my moods. Clutter and visual noise always make me feel grumpy


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[Blue-EyedLady]

I'm decluttering in fits and spurts. A handful of books here, an old toy there. My new kitchen is almost done, and then I'll be setting everything up. I've promised myself that if I can't fit our in the new kitchen, then I have to get rid of it.

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[knitlove]

I am going to declare an I service day, where I leave the girls with my mom and I go through all the school things and trash a lot of stuff.

[SalH]

Yay keep going all!!!!!!!!!

If selling stuff is too hard / decluttering / making space is too urgent you can just donate. Yard sales are a lot of work and it slows down progress. We were decluttering in a hurry because our house just needed to change and we had no space to store anything to sell. We did a gumtree sale of certain bigger value items and gave ourselves permission to say goodbye to the other stuff urgently by the car load. If the stuff has served its purpose and you no longer need it, it's ok to let it go.


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[rjy9343]

I will never do another yard sale again. We did one last year and it was a huge amount of work for very little return. It was a community wide yard sale, so James and Ivy decided to go chat with the neighbors while I stayed home to keep an eye on things. That wouldn't have bothered me if they hadn't come back with more stuff.

[Michele123]

My kitchen is done!
I LOVE having Emily counters. It's so much easier to clean and not a big deal to take out the appliances I need as I need them. Much quicker than having to clean them over and over fro, splashes from preparing other food I didn't even use the appliance for or trying to clean around the appliance. Honestly, it's easiest to even see what needs to be cleaned up when nothing belongs on the counter
Here are my after photos:




This is the only before photo I have:



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[rjy9343]

I have a box to go to the thrift store this afternoon and a box for the food pantry that I'm not sure when I'll get there. I have a huge box of kids clothes to take to the consignment shop and a few bigger baby items to go as well.

[Blue-EyedLady]

I'm unpacking my kitchen slowly. It's not quite finished with construction yet, so we're just keeping to the bare minimum. It's been an interesting exercise to figure out what the bare minimum actually is.

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[believer]

Today I had a day off from both jobs and I got some decluttering done! I sold the futon we had in our game room to someone from facebook - it was cheap and I bought it used and later got a treadmill and did not have room for it so I am glad it is gone. Then I went through the bookshelves and got two bags of books to take to my library to donate for their friends of the library sale. I also went through my daughter's clothing with her yesterday and bagged up two huge bags of outgrown clothing and donated that to someone who came by and picked it up. I have two bags of church books that I need to donate to someone from our old church as well. I cleaned the gameroom and dh is working on organizing all the tv and computer cords so that does not look as messy and I rearranged things with the futon gone. I also cleaned my son's room some and it looks better too. I still need to go through his clothing with him sometime and get rid of all that does not fit, but that will be done another day.

[easygoinmomma]

I have been doing a minimalist challenge this month. So one the first I got rid of 1 thing, on the second I got rid of 2 things, and so on. It has been great! I am actually seeing bare cupboards and I have 2 empty rubber made bins!

[SalH]

Brilliant!!!! We have loved every minute of travelling down declutter lane to minimalist street!!!! Still on a journey but our whole family has embraced it and it has improved our quality of life no end.


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[Blue-EyedLady]

I went through all the kids' clothes yesterday. I now have a clearly labeled tub for each size from 18m to size 8. Purged a bunch of clothes to make it all fit! The box of discarded clothes it's already in the car to take to the thrift store. Feels good to have that done.

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[rjy9343]

I seem to be spinning my wheels. I get one area done and them my family refills it. In theory James is onboard with less stuff. In practice, he sees an empty space and fills it. I just cleaned out my pantry and am going on to the cabinets in a few. I have cleared out my dresser a couple of times and my closet once. I am about to do my entire bedroom again and then both bathrooms. He has been cleaning out the office for two months and has gotten nothing done. I am thinking about doing it for him if it's not done by the end of July.
But I have two boxes ready to go now. I am thinking I can get another box ready to go today and that's my goal. I want a clutter free home by the beginning of August so that it's ready for me to home school Ivy. It would also be nice to have less for Jacob to find. I have taken more things from him that I had no idea we had or where we even got it.
As soon as it cools off enough to spend a lot of time out there, I am cleaning out the garage and attic.