Home & Garden 15 minutes a day to declutter club

#136
This falls into the category of "why did I keep these things for so long."

I tossed:

* 7 keys that don't open anything (I checked all of them)
* The valet key to my X's car (I figure if he hasn't needed it in 4 years, he can live without it and we have no contact anyway)
* A single earring that has lost its mate and I will never find the same pair again since they were purchased at an outlet
 
#137
I'll admit I've been slacking, but today I found the kitchen counter that seems to get swallowed up by mail and magazines. If I haven't read them by now, I'm not going to - ever! I also got rid of receipts in my purse and on the dinning room table...why do I have a receipt from the grocery store from a month ago??? lol Tomorrow, I'm bagging up the clothes for donation and doing a little organizing in the bedroom.
 
#138
Trash company took away all my piles of sticks today!

I'll have to make new stick piles for them. AFTER I finish painting the house exterior. I also need to break down the old BBQ grill for them and get rid of some paint cans. I guess the dirty garage is the next decluttering project.
 
#141
^I would start to sort out things not used in a while. I don't save things "just in case" anymore, because it's likely I'll find a better alternative if I would need it in the future.
 
#142
spoiledwify said:
View attachment 2347836
Can somebody help me to start uncluttering my garage ����
Don't know where to begin ��������
Click to expand...

I agree with Elliespurse, start decluttering the things you know you won't use. As you begin to let go of things, it will get easier to declutter more. You can always get support from us here in this thread. As the title suggests do 15 minutes only and if it's not cleared come back and do some more another day. I find if you try to do things all at once it can become overwhelming. Start small and slow and you will get there.
 
#143
And be ruthless and unsentimental. Clothes rack not used in months? Donate. Water bottles? Return or recycle. Furniture including desks that don't have a place in the home? Donate. That's just the things I can see.

Separate the contents of boxes, one a day, to donate-rubbish-or keep. Then collapse the boxes and recycle them. But be careful about the keep things. Everything must have a dedicated home otherwise do you really need?
 
#144
This is the problem with me I tend to keep things even it have not use for years , I can't let go things 😣😣😣 I thinking I might use it someday and also have collected for years 😣😣
 
#146
spoiledwify said:
This is the problem with me I tend to keep things even it have not use for years , I can't let go things ������ I thinking I might use it someday and also have collected for years ����
Click to expand...

If you are happy keeping everything, then keep it! If you're not happy with this situation, which I assume is the case if you are posting photos asking for help, then like I said, you're going to have to be ruthless and unsentimental.

Significantly, how do you know/remember you have something to use in X years time when it's buried waist deep, a room length away?

Does everything in this picture help with the health, wealth, or happiness of you and your family? If it is then why is it buried in this illogical hoard? Is it worth the real estate it's taking up? Shouldnt it be organized in a way that accomodates you, as opposed to you accommodating it? ( and have I watched way too many organize stuff shows?)

Try taking out 3 things per day. That's 5 minutes to rehome or say goodbye to each one. Either find a new home for it with like items (plastic coat hangers in laundry or wardrobes) if its useful enough - this can be edited later (I'm of the divide and conquer school), rubbish it straight to the bin, or donate (I'm sure there are a few women's refuges that could definitely use that clothes rack, or furniture, tomorrow instead of you maybe using it in so many years?).
 
#147
spoiledwify said:
View attachment 2347836
Can somebody help me to start uncluttering my garage ����
Don't know where to begin ��������
Click to expand...

I would spend a whole day on this, at least at first. Pick a day with nice weather.

Start by having a good breakfast with lots of protein to give you energy and make you feel satisfied and industrious. Stretch a little to limber up. Fill a couple of bottles with water to drink while you are working.

In the morning, move everything out into the driveway, and sort it into different areas: kitchen, wardrobe, sports, tools, etc. Don't think about it, just sort it.

Then pick the pile that you think you can process the quickest, preferably by trashing it or donating it. Pick out all the stuff you can donate or trash. Goal is to make the pile smaller and get some momentum and success behind you.

Go through each pile and trash/donate as much as possible.

For the remaining piles, sort further and think of homes inside the house where they belong, then put them there.

For the undecided stuff, put it back in the garage, clearly sorted. You can declutter those another day in a 15 minute session.

Stop when you are feeling tired or overwhelmed. Or take a break, then go back to it.

The idea is to focus on one task at a time. If you take one thing, try to figure out if you want it, try to figure out where to put it, try to make room for it somewhere, then later as you are sorting through something else, you might see a need for it and regret throwing it out, then you have to buy it again.... All this will overwhelm you, reduce your success and make you frustrated.

If you find a screw or plastic bag or something that you don't know what it is, put it in a pile for screws or plastic bags or unknown stuff. At the end of the sort, you have a better idea of what you have and what you need. I have found that clear plastic bags and twist ties are very useful. As are screws and nails. They keep me from having to make extra trips to Home Depot.

You can do it! Fall weather is beautiful! And it will be FUN! Like finding hidden treasures! And having extra space to walk around in is addicting.

(I am not a professional organizer. I have just recently done some major decluttering. A staging area is a MUST.)
 
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#148
Gixxer said:
If you are happy keeping everything, then keep it! If you're not happy with this situation, which I assume is the case if you are posting photos asking for help, then like I said, you're going to have to be ruthless and unsentimental.

Significantly, how do you know/remember you have something to use in X years time when it's buried waist deep, a room length away?

Does everything in this picture help with the health, wealth, or happiness of you and your family? If it is then why is it buried in this illogical hoard? Is it worth the real estate it's taking up? Shouldnt it be organized in a way that accomodates you, as opposed to you accommodating it? ( and have I watched way too many organize stuff shows?)

Try taking out 3 things per day. That's 5 minutes to rehome or say goodbye to each one. Either find a new home for it with like items (plastic coat hangers in laundry or wardrobes) if its useful enough - this can be edited later (I'm of the divide and conquer school), rubbish it straight to the bin, or donate (I'm sure there are a few women's refuges that could definitely use that clothes rack, or furniture, tomorrow instead of you maybe using it in so many years?).
Click to expand...

Think you are right I have to be ruthless and unsentimental and start doing the uncluttering , we start sorting things out and thinking of doing a big garage sale , guess I just have to learn how to let go things 😒
 
#149
Jesssh said:
I would spend a whole day on this, at least at first. Pick a day with nice weather.

Start by having a good breakfast with lots of protein to give you energy and make you feel satisfied and industrious. Stretch a little to limber up. Fill a couple of bottles with water to drink while you are working.

In the morning, move everything out into the driveway, and sort it into different areas: kitchen, wardrobe, sports, tools, etc. Don't think about it, just sort it.

Then pick the pile that you think you can process the quickest, preferably by trashing it or donating it. Pick out all the stuff you can donate or trash. Goal is to make the pile smaller and get some momentum and success behind you.

Go through each pile and trash/donate as much as possible.

For the remaining piles, sort further and think of homes inside the house where they belong, then put them there.

For the undecided stuff, put it back in the garage, clearly sorted. You can declutter those another day in a 15 minute session.

Stop when you are feeling tired or overwhelmed. Or take a break, then go back to it.

The idea is to focus on one task at a time. If you take one thing, try to figure out if you want it, try to figure out where to put it, try to make room for it somewhere, then later as you are sorting through something else, you might see a need for it and regret throwing it out, then you have to buy it again.... All this will overwhelm you, reduce your success and make you frustrated.

If you find a screw or plastic bag or something that you don't know what it is, put it in a pile for screws or plastic bags or unknown stuff. At the end of the sort, you have a better idea of what you have and what you need. I have found that clear plastic bags and twist ties are very useful. As are screws and nails. They keep me from having to make extra trips to Home Depot.

You can do it! Fall weather is beautiful! And it will be FUN! Like finding hidden treasures! And having extra space to walk around in is addicting.

(I am not a professional organizer. I have just recently done some major decluttering. A staging area is a MUST.)
Click to expand...

Jesssh

You have a wonderful idea and the rest of you ,ill start today and hopefully i will have the motivation to do it and have a little bit of success on starting it 😄 will keep u update
Thanks everyone

Now I need to figure out about all the lladro porcelain I have in that garage to unpack it or just keep it in those boxes 😔😣
 
#150
spoiledwify said:
Now I need to figure out about all the lladro porcelain I have in that garage to unpack it or just keep it in those boxes 😔😣
Click to expand...

Do you have a place to display the lladros?

If you love them, I would work on that first. Set aside the perfect place inside your home and get excited about your new lladro cabinet!
 
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