Destash 2017 The Year to Clear

[Ames77]

I need to buckle down and get rid of things. I started 2016 out well, but then fizzled out. I had DH take items to drop off at Goodwill this morning - mostly toys, kids' books and clothes. Right before Christmas I went through my children's bedrooms and playroom so the donation today was mostly that stuff. All total it was 123 items. DH said the girl there was happy to get some nice things to put in the store. Later, I want to get together a bag of books for him to drop off at the library. They collect books all year for their annual book sale.

 

[ski_mom]

Instead of ebay you may look into facebook sell groups. There's a couple for the area I live in. Majority of the people choose a well lit, traffic area to make their exchanges (I typically use the CVS down the road from me for example). I already have a list of a few baby items that I know I should be able to make a little bit off of.

I agree. I really like the facebook groups. I usually post things I'm wanting to get rid of and if it doesn't sell after 2 times posting, I donate it. It takes very little time and I've made a lot over the past year doing this. When I first started doing this, I only posted things if I felt I could get at least $10 for them, but I went down to $5 and found it really adds up. I just looked at my list that I've sold since last July, and I've got over $700 stashed away from there. I do live in a relatively small town and usually meet people in the walmart parking lot during my lunch hour, so I don't waste much time and decided it all adds up.

 

[Ames77]

I agree on the Facebook groups. I usually meet people at Wal-Mart or the parking lot of a convenience store, both of which are less than a mile from my house and on my way home from work. I like to sell things in groups rather than individual items. For example, I will put all my girls' outgrown clothes in groups according to size and then sell the size as a lot. I also did the same thing with some baking items and plastic storage containers I was getting rid of.

 

[littledebbie335]

Looking for advise from those who have already done a lot of this.

Have you ever read Marie Kondo's book on de-cluttering? She suggests a particular order for de-cluttering, starting with the things that have the least emotional attachment. Her idea of "keeping only the things that make you happy" is a little too touchy-feely for some, but one concept that she stresses that I really like is the idea of not keeping things for the sake of keeping things. I made a lot of progress by getting rid of things like clothes that I bought and immediately didn't like as soon as the tags were off, gifts that people gave that I didn't care for but felt obligated to keep, and books that I felt like I "should" read but really have no intention to read.

 

[KarenAylwood]

I really need this in my life right now.

We are going to try and sell our house in the spring and it IS going to take me months to go through our house and clean out, clear our, clutter out. I can't stand clutter and it's like it multiplies behind my back. I try so hard to keep it under control, but more and more it just feels like we're hiding it vs. actually addressing it.

We are a family of 5 and we live in our house. We don't have any of those empty pretty rooms that are for just because. It's going to be an uphill battle, but I really just need to make a list and start with one thing at a time instead of getting overwhelmed by the whole entire complete job.

DH & I are already at odds on how to dive in. He wants to get a storage unit and just take everything there, and go through it months later as we move into our new house. I don't agree with that method. I think we should clean the house out as we go, and only store what we need to get the house ready for market and not pay to store a bunch of clutter that we're just going to end up getting tired of "sorting" and will most likely either, stay in the boxes stored in the new garage, or just end up chucking the whole box without looking through it.

The good news is that DH did spend about 3 hours taking down Xmas decorations and putting things away and cleaned up the garage. An entire load of cardboard boxes went to recycling center and he found 3 trash bags full of boys clothes that went to clothing donation.

We moved in June 2015 and had a lot of stuff that had followed DH and I around for years. I spent months getting rid of things and it was SO nice to move in without all of it. And with a larger house I already feel like we can declutter again! Tell DH not to delay the inevitable. Start now!!

 

[dpswift]

DD and I cleared out a shelf in one of my cupboards. It is a start at least. We have a limited amount of garbage that I can throw out each week. I also plan to base meals out of what I have on hand.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Since no one started a new thread for this year, I have gone ahead and done so.



I am going to try and get rid of 2017 items this year

Thank you for starting this! I had meant to get to it all week but DH took 2 weeks off so we've been cleaning and decluttering. I haven't been on the DIS for weeks.

DH & I are already at odds on how to dive in. He wants to get a storage unit and just take everything there, and go through it months later as we move into our new house. I don't agree with that method. I think we should clean the house out as we go, and only store what we need to get the house ready for market and not pay to store a bunch of clutter that we're just going to end up getting tired of "sorting" and will most likely either, stay in the boxes stored in the new garage, or just end up chucking the whole box without looking through it.

DO NOT get a storage unit!!! DH and I did this with his mom's stuff after she passed. It sat there for 3 years. We finally loaded it into our 24 foot trailer and it sat there for another 3 years. It cost us a fortune and I ended up donating all of it to our school's rummage sale.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

So far we have:
emptied and reorganized our front hall closet. Got a shelving unit out of trailer and into the back of the closet. I have 5 coats to sell on facebook.
Cleaned out the trailer and got our classic car stored in there for winter
Cataloged stuff for rummage sale and put that in the loft
first pass on magazines in living room
emptied our barn, put up new shelving to disassemble a car, cut down card board, reorganized items to go back into barn
Dismantled holiday decorations and got rid of 3 bins of decorations
went through a bag and 2 boxes of warranties and owners manuals, purged the ones we didn't need. Filed the rest and put that in the basement.

 

[Miss Whimsy]

If you have Netflix the Minimalists' new documentary is available to watch on there. It's pretty good and if you need a bit of motivation to clear away a few items it might help encourage you. It's called "Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things."

I just watched it! I enjoyed it and wrote down half a page of notes when people said things I liked.

I did a KonMari sweep last year and I feel like I really don't have a lot left to get rid of. But I obviously do because I'm always tripping over stuff lol.

 

[KarenAylwood]

I commented earlier but also wanted to say I'm going to make this a priority this year. At least for the first 5 months of the year. We have baby boy #2 coming in late May/early June!! We moved into a new neighborhood a year and a half ago and have gotten SO many hand me downs from neighbors. Some of which I'll use, some I won't. I need to go through and organize everything we have and what we can get rid of. I feel like getting ready for baby #2 is harder than #1. At least with #1 I started with a clean slate!! We purged a lot before we moved but then somehow things have gotten crazy again. DS is 3 and will turn 4 right after little bro arrives so we're keeping pretty much everything for baby #2. I can't wait until we're totally done with kids and I can purge all of the baby stuff!!!!

DH and I also have a LOT to go through in terms of clothes. I find when I'm pregnant I hold on to things thinking I'll wear them again once I get down to my pre-preg size but I'm just fooling myself. I need to read the KonMari book I think. I am positive I have a ton of clothes I could purge!

 

[Carrie24]

I can't wait until we're totally done with kids and I can purge all of the baby stuff!!!!

It's so freeing! I went through and donated so many toys last week knowing that we're not saving for any future children! Now on to their clothes...

 

[Melissakay1q]

I just started decluttering my closet today. I have so much unnecessary stuff.

I really need some scrapbooks or something to store all the paper bits that I have saved over the years. I've boxes of memories I cannot even enjoy.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Looking for advise from those who have already done a lot of this. I am not drowning in clutter-but we do have a small "junk" room. We don't have attics and basements here in S FL so we use the garage and in our case this small room. I just feel we have too much stuff.

Where did you start? Was there an area you found to be the easiest / hardest? Tips for dealing with selling /donating items? How did you decide what to keep beyond the "need" category. I know a few lager items will go on craigslist-the light up keyboard,bmx bike...Ebay probably for a few colectable items. We donate a ton to a local charity in clothes, books, household, electronics... Has anyone used "letgo"? Trying to decide on best place for some books, disney memorabilia, alienware laptop, ...

It is me , DH, 2 DS(18,20) at home. We even have a second detached 2 car garage, that is where all the tools, golf cart, lawn mower, yard tools...all go. I also have the larger decorations, fishing gear , and a bunch of my sister's stuff in boxes there for about 5 more months. This is actually well used, pretty organized.

We are the home for all holiday and family activities so there is a ton of extra tables, chairs, dishes, serving pieces, ...they almost all get used several times a year. So again, How do you decide what goes?

We have ping pong table, free weights, bow flex, hockey gear, bikes, telescopes, guns(pellet, bb's are in Fla room-real ones in safe), bows, fireworks, blurays, cd's, lp's, lego sets(many still built on shelves), video games , xboxes, camera gear, ...Most of these things get used currently. The clothing and papers are the only easy stuff for me. Do you wait until the kids leave the house then toss/sell/send with them?

The junk room is a fair amount of books, a lot of scrapbook and craft supplies on the shelves, 1000's of family photos given to me when grandma passed and parents moved. They are boxed and organized by year. There are a couple of shoe boxes with discs from when things starting going digital-I have my mom's backups and she has mine. There are boxes of silver serving pieces, china, ceramic dishes, all have some value but I cannot seeing myself get rid of any of them while our mom's are still living. A lot of sentimental items in here. This is tough. I don't know how to let these items go.

I am going through the Christmas decs as I am putting them away. We have just 2 much there as well. That is not hard just time consuming.

Any area that made the biggest impact? Or helped to motivate you forward? I am definitely not going to be a minimalist ever, but I feel like I want my life a bit more simplified and not have to spend so much time caring for our possessions.

I take it step by step. This is what helped me!
http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/declutter-your-home.html

 

[DnA2010]

Newbie jumping on board
We have a decent sized house which is cluttered, filled with stuff and disorganized. Goal this year is to get it organized, sorted, and decorated.

So far we have done half the kitchen- I have two bins so far of stuff to sell or donate.
I have also been selling stuff on our 24 bidding site- I plan to track the money I make which will go towards a trip.

Sold to date: 2017
Cake decorating stuff: $15
Hi-tecs (bought for $20 Boxing day- DD outgrew before worn) $35
Baby carrier: $5
DDs old ski clothes $15

Total: $70!

 

[KarenAylwood]

DH tossed two old belts yesterday and this morning I threw away an old bottle of nail polish that'd been sitting in my medicine cabinet. I really need to remind myself that even if I don't have time, I can still do little things here and there. Our January is pretty free so I'm hoping to tackle the closet one of these weekends coming up!!

 

[Narnia_girl]

I went to the library yesterday and got a couple of books on decluttering. I find reading these or watching videos really helps motivate me. My favorite book so far has been Joshua Becker's "The More of Less".
I noticed Marie Kondo has a new book "Spark Joy" so I checked it out. And then last night a short review on the book popped up in my FB feed. Basically the reviewer says she's cashing in on the success of her first book and that the second book is just a rehashing. I was glad I only checked out the second book and didn't buy it.

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

Littledebbie335-I actually have read the book by Marie Kondo-I think it just is not my way of thinking or doing it. But it did motivate on this path to declutter / simplify. Thanks for the response. I liked her attitude about thanking things (maybe not out loud for me) and then letting them go.

Minniesweatheart- Love it-this is just what I was looking for. Specific and not too much at one time. I still may not do it all in the correct order, but I already printed the list / calendar and I like to check off or cross off each item once done. Thank you so much.

 

[Debbie]

I went to the library yesterday and got a couple of books on decluttering. I find reading these or watching videos really helps motivate me. My favorite book so far has been Joshua Becker's "The More of Less".
I noticed Marie Kondo has a new book "Spark Joy" so I checked it out. And then last night a short review on the book popped up in my FB feed. Basically the reviewer says she's cashing in on the success of her first book and that the second book is just a rehashing. I was glad I only checked out the second book and didn't buy it.

I used the library to get both of Marie Kondo's books-don't need extra books in the house. The first book is a great start, and is key to doing the sorting properly so that one can overcome attachment issues. The whole 'movement' is a mind set, I think, and it has been a godsend to me. The second book goes into more detail on how to do things, and clarifies a few things from the first. I needed some of that clarification. I had totally missed the vision piece in the first book and I loved the diagrams in the second book-helped me to get my folding technique down. Within the mindset, I have not brought anything into the house that I didn't love or need. I still have a fair bit to do, but my main rooms are KM'd and I love the feeling that less clutter brings! I'll check out "More of Less". Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[DnA2010]

_______________________________________________________
Updated Jan 4, 2017
Sold to date: 2017
Cake decorating stuff: $15
Hi-tecs (bought for $20 Boxing day- DD outgrew before worn) $35
Baby carrier: $5
DDs old ski clothes $15
Old Snowboard boots $20

Total: $90!

 

[StephMK]

I am in again! Things got busy and I didn't do much the last few months of the year. Right now there are a few boxes waiting to go that I collected right before the holidays.

Last night, I went through all of the cabinets in the family room. I recycled a ton of my old teaching papers and collected some supplies to donate. There is a stack of games and books to pack up for donation.

The last kid graduates HS in 2.5 years and we might move. It feels good to get rid of stuff and I'm motivated to go through everything. I've done this a few times and getting better about letting more go each time. I'm trying hard to just keep the things we love.

Figuring out what to go through next!