Let it GO! Decluttering (simplifying) your life of (people, places or things) success stories?
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Decluttered my clothing in all the drawers and closet of bedroom. Made a mountain of donations. This morning, I woke up, and I opened all the drawers to admire them. Everything was folded neatly and in order. I'll keep going ... not to part of the basement.11
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »Decluttered my clothing in all the drawers and closet of bedroom. Made a mountain of donations. This morning, I woke up, and I opened all the drawers to admire them. Everything was folded neatly and in order. I'll keep going ... not to part of the basement.
I did the same thing in April. Now i keep a garbage bag in my laundry basket. When I fold something I don't like, or doesn't fit, it goes in the bag. When the bag is full, time to donate. Helps me stay on top of it.
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How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.6
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I tried this with objects and then people, it did make my life so much easier but some people I need to have back in my life they were always on my mind anyway I missed them2
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I did the same thing in April. Now i keep a garbage bag in my laundry basket. When I fold something I don't like, or doesn't fit, it goes in the bag. When the bag is full, time to donate. Helps me stay on top of it.
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I do this also. It works really well and you don’t have to think about it twice5 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »Decluttered my clothing in all the drawers and closet of bedroom. Made a mountain of donations. This morning, I woke up, and I opened all the drawers to admire them. Everything was folded neatly and in order. I'll keep going ... not to part of the basement.
I did the same thing in April. Now i keep a garbage bag in my laundry basket. When I fold something I don't like, or doesn't fit, it goes in the bag. When the bag is full, time to donate. Helps me stay on top of it.
BOOM! This is/will be a big ole new weapon in my arsenal of tools to destroy excess, subtle(clutter can and will "sneak" up on us) and mess/"STUFF". I've never thought of this and thank you ever so much for posting this...I LOVE this!
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I tried this with objects and then people, it did make my life so much easier but some people I need to have back in my life they were always on my mind anyway I missed them
{{{{ Hugs }}}} I totally know and "feel" you on this. ONLY you know what's best for you. For me, what I discovered is I would "fantasize/imagine" about what "I" wanted to believe about these folks. It wasn't true and keeping toxic people in my heart, mind and life would only hurt me, because I wasn't dealing with/seeing/believing the "reality" about said person, just my unreality/imagination/expectation/hope in and of them (which made for "crazy-making" mess), which is CRAZY-MAKING for/to me...and also made me to live in a delusion/a lie (which again, was/is crazy-making for me). Again, EVERYONE is different and there is no one answer fits all in this extremely important and serious matter of the heart/mind/life, period. The very best to you and yours now and forevermore
{{{
Hugs again }}} 2 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »Decluttered my clothing in all the drawers and closet of bedroom. Made a mountain of donations. This morning, I woke up, and I opened all the drawers to admire them. Everything was folded neatly and in order. I'll keep going ... not to part of the basement.
I did the same thing in April. Now i keep a garbage bag in my laundry basket. When I fold something I don't like, or doesn't fit, it goes in the bag. When the bag is full, time to donate. Helps me stay on top of it.
Great idea!!!1 -
NewLIFEstyle4ME wrote: »I tried this with objects and then people, it did make my life so much easier but some people I need to have back in my life they were always on my mind anyway I missed them
{{{{ Hugs }}}} I totally know and "feel" you on this. ONLY you know what's best for you. For me, what I discovered is I would "fantasize/imagine" about what "I" wanted to believe about these folks. It wasn't true and keeping toxic people in my heart, mind and life would only hurt me, because I wasn't dealing with/seeing/believing the "reality" about said person, just my unreality/imagination/expectation/hope in and of them (which made for "crazy-making" mess), which is CRAZY-MAKING for/to me...and also made me to live in a delusion/a lie (which again, was/is crazy-making for me). Again, EVERYONE is different and there is no one answer fits all in this extremely important and serious matter of the heart/mind/life, period. The very best to you and yours now and forevermore
{{{ Hugs again }}}
I’m afraid it broke me in the end and I found forgiving them and accepting them back into my life helped me heal .
I hope you find your way too huge hugs to you too x2 -
How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
I am in the same spot! Husband has piles everywhere. It really drains me. He's been away on vacation and I am cleaning like crazy. I wont get rid of his stuff but while he's gone, I am getting rid of my stuff. He always sees what I'm donating and says, "Sell this on EBay." Ugh that is so time consuming and you get mere dollars for some of the things. So while he is gone, I am like the Tasmanian Devil cleaning.9 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
I am in the same spot! Husband has piles everywhere. It really drains me. He's been away on vacation and I am cleaning like crazy. I wont get rid of his stuff but while he's gone, I am getting rid of my stuff. He always sees what I'm donating and says, "Sell this on EBay." Ugh that is so time consuming and you get mere dollars for some of the things. So while he is gone, I am like the Tasmanian Devil cleaning.
It is a lot of work to sell stuff, but it's helping me learn patience. Plus I've made over $1000 so far! The bigger issue is having to keep living with those items after deciding they are not staying. Until someone picks them up. Smaller items that aren't worth much, I sold in a garage sale, anything little from this point will just be donated. I'm over garage sales. People are so cheap (which has been my greatest lesson on patience). The other lesson: it really showed me how much money I wasted on things that no one seems all that interested in paying even half price.8 -
How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
Man oh man, for me (everyone is different) I HAD TO humble myself, take the beam outta my own eye, so that I could see clearly how to remove the speck out of the "offenders" eye. In other words, I had to humble myself, work on my own issues first. I personally used the excuse of what someone else was doing wrong, in order to continue in my mess and contently sitting in that mess to boot blaming them for all my mess, when the truth is--I was lazy and angry and again used that as an excuse NOT to do the right thing and more important with the right "spirit"/attitude--UGH. So, once I made up in my heart and mind to do the right thing and keep on doing it no matter what...for The Glory of God and my good--BOOM! Something happened. I started judging myself just as harshly as I was judging others and BAM! Mercy came I started taking the focus off of them and onto me and my mess and wow---things started changing. I was no longer bitter/morose/nasty attitude--instead a JOY came over me and a LOVE for living in spacious, clean, clutter free YUM!
Long-story short, forsake anger and wrath (cause it aint going to help you one wit). Put on mercy/understanding and do it (MAKE YOURSELF) do it in LOVE, POWER and a SOUND MIND (meaning joy, peace, whatevah I'm doing this for me and the family, so I might as well do my best and at the very least, count it as a few calories being burned while I'm at it.) Take that approach and watch what happens. Remember "they" say "Rome wasn't built in a day" so it may take some time OR maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised when they see you cleaning and tidying with love and joy and even delight...they may change quicker than you may think (MAYBE).
{{{{ Hugs and Emphasizing with you }}}}}} 4 -
How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
My husband and I had a discussion and came to an agreement. He doesn't get to buy any new "stuff" unless he can come up with a place for it to go without expanding into my space. So, for example, he collects model airplanes, but his shelves are full and they were threatening to take over the top of the piano, so he isn't buying any until he redoes the cabinets so there is a nice enclosed display for them. Knowing he can't get new airplanes without redoing the cabinets is also motivating him to redo the cabinets.
On the other side of the equation, I don't get to buy new kitchen gadgets or dishes unless I figure out where they live in the kitchen. I wanted a new set of bowls for Asian food, so I gave away some older stuff that we have had forever that never really did like, we bought it because it was inexpensive and we needed dishes when we got married. Hopefully some new couple getting married will get a good deal on it.
Of course, this presupposes your husband will agree that neat is better than messy, come to an agreement, and keep his promises. If he just insists on being messy in your clean space, setting anything left in the wrong place on his side of the bed works.9 -
NewLIFEstyle4ME wrote: »I tried this with objects and then people, it did make my life so much easier but some people I need to have back in my life they were always on my mind anyway I missed them
{{{{ Hugs }}}} I totally know and "feel" you on this. ONLY you know what's best for you. For me, what I discovered is I would "fantasize/imagine" about what "I" wanted to believe about these folks. It wasn't true and keeping toxic people in my heart, mind and life would only hurt me, because I wasn't dealing with/seeing/believing the "reality" about said person, just my unreality/imagination/expectation/hope in and of them (which made for "crazy-making" mess), which is CRAZY-MAKING for/to me...and also made me to live in a delusion/a lie (which again, was/is crazy-making for me). Again, EVERYONE is different and there is no one answer fits all in this extremely important and serious matter of the heart/mind/life, period. The very best to you and yours now and forevermore
{{{ Hugs again }}}
I’m afraid it broke me in the end and I found forgiving them and accepting them back into my life helped me heal .
I hope you find your way too huge hugs to you too x
You're a darling, period. The people in your life are BLESSED to have you! Ya know, this being "broken" is totally underrated. I literally thank God for allowing me to be "broken" in more areas of my life than I can to count. Before I was "broken" I was a mess (inside and out), once I was "broken" (which I call humbled), wow...it's like my eyes were opened and I started running after change like never before. I think that's what the "count it ALL joy" is all about.
Anyway, I'm so GLAD you've rediscovered help/healing in this area. Personally, I'm so GLAD these folk are outta my life I could SCREAM with joy and delight and RELIEF! I have nothing but love for these folks. I don't wish them ANY harm and as a matter of fact I wish them nothing but the best life has to offer (just away from me). I look at the yuck as ME, not "necessarily" them. I don't have to like everyone, but love everyone and sometimes love, REAL love mean letting go of a relationship that inspires/encourages/promotes all kinds of yuck in and around me. That's my take on it. Again YAY you, you beautiful person for posting here and encouraging and helping me and many others too!
{{{{ Hugs once more }}}}}2 -
rheddmobile wrote: »How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
My husband and I had a discussion and came to an agreement. He doesn't get to buy any new "stuff" unless he can come up with a place for it to go without expanding into my space. So, for example, he collects model airplanes, but his shelves are full and they were threatening to take over the top of the piano, so he isn't buying any until he redoes the cabinets so there is a nice enclosed display for them. Knowing he can't get new airplanes without redoing the cabinets is also motivating him to redo the cabinets.
On the other side of the equation, I don't get to buy new kitchen gadgets or dishes unless I figure out where they live in the kitchen. I wanted a new set of bowls for Asian food, so I gave away some older stuff that we have had forever that never really did like, we bought it because it was inexpensive and we needed dishes when we got married. Hopefully some new couple getting married will get a good deal on it.
Of course, this presupposes your husband will agree that neat is better than messy, come to an agreement, and keep his promises. If he just insists on being messy in your clean space, setting anything left in the wrong place on his side of the bed works.
What a tremendous, fabulous and inspiration post--you ROCK, period. Thanks so much for contributing here--WOW and YAY!3 -
I was going to shop for new clothes, but my closet was literally bulging with clothes I needed to go through first. I ended up going *shopping* in my own closet, found a bunch of clothes I had forgotten about that fit me again! And that was just going through the first half this weekend, can't wait for what I discover in the other half and in the dressers, LOL. Also; I was able to get rid of anything with a *W* after the size and some of the XXL and XXXL (still holding on to some because I like comfortable baggy tops, LOL) that felt really good too!9
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
I am in the same spot! Husband has piles everywhere. It really drains me. He's been away on vacation and I am cleaning like crazy. I wont get rid of his stuff but while he's gone, I am getting rid of my stuff. He always sees what I'm donating and says, "Sell this on EBay." Ugh that is so time consuming and you get mere dollars for some of the things. So while he is gone, I am like the Tasmanian Devil cleaning.
Girl, UGH indeed. That e-Bay and selling stuff is a huge yuck to me. It's not just time consuming but all kinds of problems and woe with buyers and e-bay in general. I find giving stuff away far more BAM in helping me realize/understand that buying too much stuff hurts me (financially, mentally and all kinds of stuff). So I just use the old fashioned "give until it hurts" mode and/or worse/scarier...THROW IT AWAY (yikes, but wake-up calling) and it's helped me something humble--big-time!
I just googled this and perhaps you'll find something helpful here.
https://www.salehoo.com/blog/sick-of-ebay-try-these-alternative-places-to-sell5 -
Liberating isn't it?:
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AKTipsyCat wrote: »I was going to shop for new clothes, but my closet was literally bulging with clothes I needed to go through first. I ended up going *shopping* in my own closet, found a bunch of clothes I had forgotten about that fit me again! And that was just going through the first half this weekend, can't wait for what I discover in the other half and in the dressers, LOL. Also; I was able to get rid of anything with a *W* after the size and some of the XXL and XXXL (still holding on to some because I like comfortable baggy tops, LOL) that felt really good too!
Girl, that shopping in your own closet is the bombdotcom...I LOVE DOING THIS! I could just "happy dance" with you about getting rid of the stuff with "w" on it and 1X, 2X and X in general. I haven't "arrived" but size regular 14's makes me swoon with gladness. I LOVE this post and thank you ever so much for contributing to this thread, ya got me smiling from ear to ear--BOOM!6 -
How do you all handle it when you want to be minimalist but your spouse doesn't? My husband accumulates things like crazy. I pick up the house but then the shelf/dresser top/counters etc. just fill up with things.
My husband is like this too. If its things that don't belong in the house, he has the choice between putting it in his shop or the trash. If its things he just didn't put away, they go on his chair. If its a hoarder thing, shop or trash. I'm still working on him lol.3 -
Going to re read this thread as we prepare for a move. We've been in our apartment for a little over 3 years and have stuffed it full of things despite my best efforts. We've slowly been thinning the pile - but I know that this is going to be a daunting task. Any tips for moving would be greatly appreciated!
I moved recently (into a smaller Brooklyn apartment than my old one). If possible, moving in chunks really helped me. I took the stuff I knew I wanted first and arranged stuff in the new place. That way, I was really able to see what worked in my new apartment before moving more stuff. Good luck!10 -
Last year, I decluttered my linen cupboard so that it was no longer overflowing, but crowded.
Today, I cleaned it out some more, and now it's not crowded, but has extra space.
I got rid of doona/sheets etc that I haven't used for years. Life is too short to see the same patterns year in year out.
I've bagged up the old linen for the op shop who will either sell it as linen or cut it up and sell as cleaning rags.
Yay. 7 -
When scrolling on Facebook and you see something or someone that always annoys you, let it go and just Unfollow them.6
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I have been working on cleaning out the basement today. It's raining so I don't feel as if I'm missing out on the sun. I have been finding a lot of empty boxes my family must throw down here. I'm being ruthless with decluttering, even throwing away stacks of pictures. Since I scrapbook, I have many memory books, so it's ok to throw away loose pictures. My husband would disagree, but he's still on a trip, so I am feeling happy to make my own decisions without his input.5
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Combine them into one big bottle. you can also use the leftover shampoos and conditioner to wash delicates such as lingerie and cashmere.WandaVaughn wrote: »
Oh. What so what do I do with all the half empty bottles of shampoo hanging around my bathroom?7 -
Checking back in after months off this thread and MFP (which hasn’t been good for the clutter or the weight). Trying to get back on track. This thread will help on both accounts.
One tiny bit of progress I’ve been working on is the clutter in the freezer and kitchen cupboards. Got rid of all the expired stuff. Been planning meals according to what I already have and buying just enough of the other ingredients to complete the meal. It’s a slow, but still progress.11 -
Checking back in after months off this thread and MFP (which hasn’t been good for the clutter or the weight). Trying to get back on track. This thread will help on both accounts.
One tiny bit of progress I’ve been working on is the clutter in the freezer and kitchen cupboards. Got rid of all the expired stuff. Been planning meals according to what I already have and buying just enough of the other ingredients to complete the meal. It’s a slow, but still progress.
Sometimes, this is better when needing to learn new habits.
I started by simply doing my bed every day. It wasn't much, but it was something with a measurable progress. After having felt like a failure for so long, succeeding at something (anything!) was really refreshing
So keep up the good work, no matter how slow
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Checking back in after months off this thread and MFP (which hasn’t been good for the clutter or the weight). Trying to get back on track. This thread will help on both accounts.
One tiny bit of progress I’ve been working on is the clutter in the freezer and kitchen cupboards. Got rid of all the expired stuff. Been planning meals according to what I already have and buying just enough of the other ingredients to complete the meal. It’s a slow, but still progress.
I think you ROCK, period. Starting off slowly is the stuff champions are made of. "Slow and steady wins the race".
I love you "choosing" to work on the clutter in the freezer and cupboards. You've inspired me to get rid some of my excess mugs. I've been thinking about ridding myself of some and now, today I will thanks to you. I have a few favorite mugs that have chips on them, I have plenty and don't need the chipped ones (no matter how "cute" they are) so THANK YOU so much for coming back and you're an inspiration already.
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I did a very large purge over July 4th and ended up processing some old emotional baggage as well as the physical. It lasted about 10 days and I'm better for having processed both. I went through my workout stuff yesterday which I never give up. Very happy to say I did let some go. In a few weeks, I'll start on the paper. There's no room for the new with the old taking up so much space. Well done, everyone and thanks for the tips.8
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