Getting rid of stuff.

I'm not a hoarder, but there's something about bills. I know that one day I'll need to know what my phone bill was in June, 1993.
When I moved into my present home in 1992, I didn't have as much storage space. I had to toss out my rent , electric, and phone bills from 1972.. I just checked. My income tax records only go back to 1988, do you think I might have a problem?
 

We have a Facebook Buy Nothing group here in the San Jose area where people post things that they're wanting to get rid of that they're willing to just give away to people who want them. They will sometimes just say something like "Porch pickup" so people can stop by to pick up items they want and other times they wait for someone says they want it and then arrange for them to pick it up. They usually don't provide an address in the posting but just list a general area and only provide their exact pick up location by PM to the person picking something up. There have been some amazing things given away that have been very appreciated by the people who've gotten them. We have all sorts of people in the group from those in difficult financial situations to others who are generally in decent shape who would use and appreciate what is being offered.
 
Somebody smarter than me once told me if it no longer gives you pleasure or you have no need or space for it, throw it out or give it away. But I do have trouble with some of that I have to admit.

While cleaning out the clutter for downsizing recently I found a box unpacked from our last move, ten years ago!! 😲 It was full of carefully wrapped crystal. Some of it mine, some of it had belonged to my departed mother. We had no room for it at the time and I hated to give it away because I do so love crystal and it did hold fond memories.

Anyway, on to a smaller house but one with a big open living room and a wall that looked sort of bare. A couple of fairly cheap glass fronted display cabinets from Ikea and some artfully applied (thanks to my partner) strip lighting later ... and all that lovely crystal sparkles at me every time I walk past.

No doubt the kids will sell it in an instant when I'm gone but until then - yep it still gives me pleasure. 🤩
 

Warrigal said:
We, out of consideration for the people who we will inevitably leave behind, are in the process of clearing out accumulated rubbish and bric-a-brac. We started with the filing cabinets and the computer room. A huge amount of paper that we thought might be important one day has now been shredded and put in the recycle bin. My wardrobe has yielded quite a few items that I no longer have the chance to wear. I kept them in case I needed some after five sparkle but no more cruises for us so they went to the Salvation Army thrift shop.

Next it was the shoes. Too many shoes and most were becoming shabby so a few pairs went in the rubbish bin. Today I will make another trip to the Salvos to donate a brand new pair of strappy silver evening sandals, a pair of pink lolly coloured sandals barely worn at all and an expensive pair of black suede dress shoes with heels. I have never worn them outside the house and have been holding onto them on the off chance that one day I might need a good pair at a moment's notice but really, my knees are never going to tolerate even medium heels any more. I'll never wear such shoes ever again while I am still breathing, and after that I won't need them any more. If they can be sold and the money be used to support a charity, then that is much better than sitting in the wardrobe inviting mildew.

The process is not finished. The garage and the shed need a lot of purging but Hubby is more attached to his old things than I am. I did manage to to persuade him to join me in the shoe cull though.

Edit. The volunteers at the Salvos were very happy with the shoes. I had cleaned, washed or polished them and they looked quite presentable. Final touch was to sanitise the insides with a fungicide spray. Even if they can't sell them they might be given to homeless men with big feet.
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@Warrigal we have a place in South Australia called 'Second Chances' and their sole purpose is
Restoring hope to people in prison, their children and families, here in South Australia
 
I used nextdoor social networking service to give away my dining room furniture, window air conditioners, and a chest of drawers.

https://nextdoor.com/

You can also list things for sale but in this area, there is so much available it is hardly worth the effort.

I was happy to see the items go to people that could use them and also avoid having to pay someone to cart them away.
 
I have spent so much time over the years helping clients, whose parents are no longer in the family home due to death or illness, to de-clutter and purge the lifetime worth of stuff that has built up. Kids bedrooms that look like the kid still lives there it’s still so packed with their younger-self stuff. Basement jammed, with narrow walkways in between piles. Beautifully appointed though outdated formal living and dining rooms with gorgeous antiques, and buffets filled with crystal, China, silver and linens none of which has been used in years. And now the children are left to deal with all the “stuff.”

And most of it, other than some of the antiques which are timeless, doesn’t sell because the younger generation doesn’t live that way, doesn’t do formal entertaining or formal dinner parties that require starched linens and silver platters. So these lifetime collections of once treasured items just get dumped at the local goodwill. It’s really sad. 🥺

Dealing with that for clients over the years has made me VOW that *I* won’t leave that kind of legacy for my kids. So I routinely purge, recycle, de-clutter. I also try and stay current with the things we need to buy, for example a new set of dishes that we chose in a trendy pattern that we liked which has a good change of being used by one of our kids.

Luckily Ron is similar so I don’t have to fight with him over stuff. 💕
 
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It can be hard to get rid of things. In the end it's only stuff. I have donated a lot to the local thrift store that mainly funds spay and neuter. However when I talked to the woman who now runs the place about the feral cats at my workplace, she was beyond nasty to me. The woman who started the thrift store was wonderful.

I live in an apartment so I can't have a sale. I still take things to them. The people may be jerks, but I hope it benefits some animals. If you can perhaps have a sale and donate the rest. Once stuff is gone, that's the thing, it's gone. And you live without it.
 
Keesha said:
My advice is to go through each room individually and ask yourself when was the last time you used the items.

Then make FOUR piles:

1/. Garbage
2/. Donate
3/. Sell
4/. Keep

If you haven’t worn clothes in years, donate them to people less fortunate than you.
If you have Knick Knacks you’ve shoved into boxed or cupboards; donate them.
If you have things that aren’t good enough to donate them toss them into the garbage
If you have a great set of bone China dishes you haven’t used in years, some really expensive things you no longer use but could sure use the extra money, consider selling them. If they don’t sell, lower the price. If they still don’t sell then donate them.

For a while your house will be a bit disorganized but afterwards you will have more space, know exactly where everything is and feel good that you’ve helped others out who are less fortunate than yourself.

It’s definitely worth the effort and each year that goes by the harder this will be; especially when you need to downsize due to age and health.

I wish you the best of luck.
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Those are my sentiments exactly but also 'tis very time consuming so have to pace myself. Today I hit my pantry for a spell but when my back started acting up, I stopped and donned my layers and off I went outdoors in -22 C but with sun out and the wind not too bad. I lasted 30 minutes then quick as a wink removed all my layers and enjoyed a nice hot cup of coffee and sat with a good book.
 
Ruby Rose said:
Those are my sentiments exactly but also 'tis very time consuming so have to pace myself. Today I hit my pantry for a spell but when my back started acting up, I stopped and donned my layers and off I went outdoors in -22 C but with sun out and the wind not too bad. I lasted 30 minutes then quick as a wink removed all my layers and enjoyed a nice hot cup of coffee and sat with a good book.
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You did well. -22? We aren’t quite that cold here but close. We are getting rid of more stuff every week. We have 3 huge boxes of stuff to take to the garbage dump this week , a huge bag with of donations and made almost $1,000 in selling stuff.
 
I had four categories
1. Collectibles that I sold on eBay
2. Appliances,dishes, etc that I took to work to let the production people have
3. Notice on all the bulletin boards at my condo listing Free stuff. They were there a half hour early LOL
4. Anything left went to Goodwill.
 
Keesha said:
You did well. -22? We aren’t quite that cold here but close. We are getting rid of more stuff every week. We have 3 huge boxes of stuff to take to the garbage dump this week , a huge bag with of donations and made almost $1,000 in selling stuff.
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We are presently being with that nasty polar vortex and living in Rural...we really feel the cold. Yesterday, with the wind chill, it was about -29 C but we still went out all bundled up and darling Bonita, the Clydesdale took us for a 'crisp' ride in an old wooden sled around and around until we started feeling the cold...I dashed for my abode and my daughter to hers. Good healthy Winter fun!
 
I have been planning to do the same thing Fanci...and I just need to stop procrastinating and do it. My reasons are the same as yours. I've gotten rid of a few small things but I need to do it on a much larger scale. Since I no longer drive, I'd have to get someone to take me to drop items off. I'd prefer it be an agency that gives things away not sells them. So that causes me to stall even more. The place I used to donate to moved, still in town but has this crazy schedule as to when they'll accept items.

I think the hardest thing about purging is getting started. If you have no sentimental attachments to the items you decide to give away, that's even better. Good luck with the process!
 
Ruby Rose said:
We are presently being with that nasty polar vortex and living in Rural...we really feel the cold. Yesterday, with the wind chill, it was about -29 C but we still went out all bundled up and darling Bonita, the Clydesdale took us for a 'crisp' ride in an old wooden sled around and around until we started feeling the cold...I dashed for my abode and my daughter to hers. Good healthy Winter fun!
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Seriously? Like THIS type of thing?
I would LOVE that. I’m a tad jealous.
That must be so lovely and romantic on a moonlight snowy night, even with a daughter. Lol! That IS good healthy fun. How delightful.
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My biggest problem with decluttering is *dust* I'm highly allergic to it and so it's a never-ending cycle... can't go through more than a few min. of decluttering because I'm sneezing my head off, so *more* dust collects as I keep putting it off.

I have found some short term solutions (spray normal saline nasal spray in my nose after working around dust) but it's cumulative.... I will come up with a solution
 
Remy said:
It can be hard to get rid of things. In the end it's only stuff. I have donated a lot to the local thrift store that mainly funds spay and neuter. However when I talked to the woman who now runs the place about the feral cats at my workplace, she was beyond nasty to me. The woman who started the thrift store was wonderful.

I live in an apartment so I can't have a sale. I still take things to them. The people may be jerks, but I hope it benefits some animals. If you can perhaps have a sale and donate the rest. Once stuff is gone, that's the thing, it's gone. And you live without it.
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We live in an apartment also, so we donated our stuff to a Women's Center and it is now not ours. Gone. Just pots and pans and purses, etc.
 
CinnamonSugar said:
My biggest problem with decluttering is *dust* I'm highly allergic to it and so it's a never-ending cycle... can't go through more than a few min. of decluttering because I'm sneezing my head off, so *more* dust collects as I keep putting it off.

I have found some short term solutions (spray normal saline nasal spray in my nose after working around dust) but it's cumulative.... I will come up with a solution
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what about a face mask ( current pandemic style )....any good ?
 
hollydolly said:
what about a face mask ( current pandemic style )....any good ?
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Living where I live, when the wind hits which is often...we have dust always and have to wait somewhat until it passes then get cracking to dust then off we go outdoors for some fresh air. This is the windiest place I have ever lived in!
 
Ruby Rose said:
Living where I live, when the wind hits which is often...we have dust always and have to wait somewhat until it passes then get cracking to dust then off we go outdoors for some fresh air. This is the windiest place I have ever lived in!
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I hate the wind... I hate it more than any other weather..

Where my second home is in Southern Spain, it's at the top of a hill, overlooking a Golf course, and when the rain and winds come we get all the darn sand blowing off the golf course, and the beach only 10 minutes away
 

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