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De-cluttering! I am making a real effort

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 11:34

having been a 'magpie' for many years ( family trait) collecting 'pretties', china, bits! I am working on the moneysaving mantra "Do I need it, will I use it?"

Just sold a load of boot fair type stuff on Ebay, and the thought of 17 boxes leaving the garage is really thrilling lol, it's like a weight being lifted off my shoulders :)

talking to a friend about getting rid of old cards and letters, neither of us can bear to get rid of cards sent to our mums that they kept for years ( like all the birthday cards from childhood etc).

can you de-clutter? and what can't you let go of, even though it is of 'no use' ..( don't say OH LOL)

xx

StrayKitten

StrayKitten Report 17 Jan 2011 11:41

i hav every card lilman has ever been sent "blushes"

i hate cutter but dont like throwing thing out incase i "need" it in t futrue lol,

Foggy

Foggy Report 17 Jan 2011 11:44

Hello young Rose,

You have just said it, "do you need it, or will you ever use it".
probably not.......get rid of..... de-clutter, you know it makes sense.

JoyBoroAngel

JoyBoroAngel Report 17 Jan 2011 11:48

i have all my childrens toya and every picture
and school book they ever brought home in the loft

one day i will de clutter

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 11:49

~~~~~~

It is a 'children' thing lol, I have kept D's first babygro ( peter rabbit) and rattle, and his paintings and cards :)

I am 'wavering' over my grandmother's blue and white plates ( 1900 ish, chipped lol) ...what do you reckon Foggy, should i or shouldn't I ? ( have checked prices for selling , not much and a fair few on Ebay already lol)

xx

'Emma'

'Emma' Report 17 Jan 2011 11:52

Hi Rose,

I hate clutter and am a shredder par excellence, saying that
things that mean a lot to me I keep stored away so I don't see
them and take a madder and have a clean out. LOLx

Emmax

StrayKitten

StrayKitten Report 17 Jan 2011 12:04

aw i have 2 bgs full of his baby clothes too haha,

mam is the worst she has all my old toys up in the loft, lilman goes up and plays with them all the time lol, mind its nice when he gets sme down, and i can reminise x

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 12:11

I have my brother's teddy , which became mine, then D's lol, and my soft toy horse made by my mum, and a dog, and two dolls lol. and a bag of D's soft toys from when he was little, the 'nice' ones which were special.

Emma, very satisfying shredding lol...as is pruning in the garden :)

Guinevere

Guinevere Report 17 Jan 2011 12:28

Morning, Rose.

I wish 'imself would declutter. I had a massive sort out when we moved but he clings to junk and it really gets on my nerves.

Spent yesterday with his brother's family and he's just the same. Sis in law and I had a good old moan about them while they protested about how important their "treasures" are.

No one needs that many bits of wood.

Gwynne

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 12:42

Hi Gwynne, Most of my de-cluttering is to make room for D's eletcronic/PC stuff :)

But i do have a bit of sympathy with the 'wood issue' ( and nails and bits lol) , you never know when you might need a good bit of wood ;)

When we moved here, i was desperate for some shelves in the storage cupboard in the hall, looked in DIY store but i would have had to buy larger and cut down and very expensive for the width I needed...
then I thought to look at the old cobbled together
cupboard that had been left in the garage ... decent wood shelves that i cut and put in, just the right width front to back :))

Janet

Janet Report 17 Jan 2011 12:52

When I read the first message, initially I thought I wasn't a hoarder but as I read further I questioned myself. I don't know whether I dare admit this but I have a, very large stainless steel teapot which was bought to use in 1955 at my grandparents golden wedding....in the days when people drank tea and didn't get a few crates in. Have I ever used it?....nope. Will I ever use it?.....maybe. Is it taking up a whole shelf in one of my kitchen cupboards ?....yup...and not content with that bit of metal. I have the three cake tins which my mother used for my wedding cake in 1971 - 12"-9"- and 6" and do I bake?- nope. Will I bake? nope, but I just can't throw them out. -jle

tinaj

tinaj Report 17 Jan 2011 12:53

I love de-cluttering!

The only thing I fail with is the children. The boys are both teenagers and I have kept every book / drawing / junk model etc the have made. They both also have treasure boxes with special things in - first shoes, birthday cards, teddies - all sorts. I am hoping that when they are all grown up I will be able to rationalise all this stuff and keep really important important stuff but lose a few of the unidentifable drawings - but I won't hold my breath lol.

My biggest irritation is my husband. He left 18 months ago but I still have crates full of his junk stacked up at the back of the garage. He was and probably still is a terrible hoarder of complete junk. Much of the stuff in the garage came from his parents house (when they wanted to de-clutter) 20 years ago and has not been needed since. As soon as the divorce is completed there are going to be a few ultimatums!!

Tina x

Carol 430181

Carol 430181 Report 17 Jan 2011 12:59

Well Rose this is a dilemma I am facing at the moment. Would not call it clutter but do have rather a lot of china that I have collected over the years, getting to the stage that I am finding it harder to keep washed and dusted. All my children have implied that they will not keep it, so should I sell it now and share the money. Oh but everytime I try I think that piece was my dads/nans and cannot do it, perhaps next year lol
Carol

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 13:13

It's very difficult Carol, I think if keeping it clean and dusted has become a chore it really rather cancels out your pleasure in it? If you look at a piece and think 'that needs dusting' rather than 'I love that piece' maybe it's time to let it go? I had a lot of china, mum's and grandmother's, and some of it I really didn't like, just kept it because 'it has always been here'.

I was prompted to the conclusion last year really, that when I die most of it would go in a skip or at best to the charity shops, so it might as well go now lol while I can decide where it goes to, and know that someone somewhere may have the pleasure of it.

AnninGlos

AnninGlos Report 17 Jan 2011 13:14

About 10 yesrs ago I did a couple of boot sales and got rid of a lot of odd bits of china. I still have more than the two of us need but can'r face selling on ebay and having to pack it all up and send it. Did you sell yours as a job lot Rose? You said boxes!! How did you work out the postage?

I have made another trip to town on the bus this morning with another 2 bags of books, that is 8 carrier bags full so far, and still more in the loft.

tina, I know what you mean but your first sentence made me chuckle. 'I love de-cluttering! The only thing I fail with is the children.'
My sister had the same problem when her husband left and left all his stuff in the loft and garage. Even before the divorce she gave him an ultimatum, "move it or I sell it."

I am a hoarder but am being strict with myself, trouble is, I don't mind giving it away but can't throw it knowing it is going to landfill.

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!) Report 17 Jan 2011 13:15

I hang onto bits and pieces from mum and dad - and even some old blue water glasses that were my nan's. I've never used the water glasses but I do use mum and dad's old tea service on high days and holidays. If it breaks I will have the memory of it and it's lovely to use as it brings back so many memories.

Jill

(Carol - put it in a glass cabinet or glass fronted cupboard - cuts down on the washing/dusting)

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 13:33

HI Ann. iI put it on 'Lobay' which is Ebay local to your area, (eg within 10 miles of Telford) and pick up only.

I advertised it as a job lot of 15+ boxes, and D took some photo's of assorted bits from them. It went for the starting price, so not a great deal but I would much rather that than 'dump' anything...I can't do that lol, I recycle as much as possible.

PS...I specified "sorry can't split" on the description.

ChrisofWessex

ChrisofWessex Report 17 Jan 2011 13:45

never heard of Lobay. Do tell.

Carol 430181

Carol 430181 Report 17 Jan 2011 13:50

Rose you make a lot of sense, yes better to see where it goes rather than the tip. Jill (have to confess don't think they make glass cabinet big enough) did have one when children were young, since then husband had put up glass shelves which also collect a lot of dust, think I will have to do a Quentin Crisp.
Carol

Rambling

Rambling Report 17 Jan 2011 13:58

here you are Chris

"UK Local Ebay Bargain Finder - Ebay Local Search Tool Search ebay UK for bargains in your local area, find local collection only bargains to win ebay auctions at bargain prices, local ebay bargain finder!

www.lobay.co.uk/