Let it GO! Decluttering (simplifying) your life of (people, places or things) success stories?

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Replies

  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,155 Member
    I can't imagine how hard it would be to declutter your child's belongings. I could just weep for this friend.

    I do know that the reason we keep our things is for sentimental reasons; they represent certain times in our life we want to remember.
    I read that. My ex has all of his college notebooks; it probably is hard to throw away due to the hard work he put in and perhaps even enjoying that time of his life.

    Regarding your child's belongings , I like someone's ideas of taking pictures. Maybe create a scrapbook - either digital or paper.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,155 Member
    debilang wrote: »
    Moved hopefully for the last time to our retirement dream home. Decluttering? YES! Both material and processed sugar!!!...going on 40th day on processed sugar...and feel sooo good!! Wishing everyone the BEST when decluttering whatever you need to :) It is refreshing and cleansing!! Thanks for this thread!!!

    You inspired me! Sugar free is a great place to be. I have been nibbling gummy bears when I am stressed.
  • debilang
    debilang Posts: 874 Member
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    debilang wrote: »
    . Decluttering? YES! Both material and processed sugar!!!...going on 40th day on processed sugar...a

    You inspired me! Sugar free is a great place to be. I have been nibbling gummy bears when I am stressed.

    @rubyred I am HAPPY to inspire...but I did feel a tinge of craving when you mentioned you eat gummy bears when stressed...OMG...*love* gummy bears...but if you try getting off processed sugar, it is only the first few days that are the biggest threat...but gets easier afterward!! :)
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,030 Member
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  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    debilang wrote: »
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    debilang wrote: »
    . Decluttering? YES! Both material and processed sugar!!!...going on 40th day on processed sugar...a

    You inspired me! Sugar free is a great place to be. I have been nibbling gummy bears when I am stressed.

    @rubyred I am HAPPY to inspire...but I did feel a tinge of craving when you mentioned you eat gummy bears when stressed...OMG...*love* gummy bears...but if you try getting off processed sugar, it is only the first few days that are the biggest threat...but gets easier afterward!! :)

    I have been off sweets for 4 weeks, it was easier than I thought, I dont crave them now, who knew? I have also been told I can focus better, seems that way.
  • suzij27
    suzij27 Posts: 199 Member
    missevil wrote: »
    I certainly don't have a success story yet but I really plan to. My biggest problem with this is social anxiety. I have so many things that are still in good shape and I certainly don't want to throw them away. However, here in Germany, we don't have those general donation places like they seem to be in the US. So just stuffing your trunk and donating them somewhere in one place is not an option. And it's definitely too much stuff to just place it in front of the house with a note "for free". So that leaves eBay and interaction with people... :neutral:
    But I have/want to get rid of at least half of my stuff in the next year or so because I have to renovate my apartment and re-design it to provide some space for my BF as well. Plus I can totally see why decluttering makes your life easier and provides a sense of control that helps with the weight loss as well.
    So any ideas are appreciated :wink:

    I am in the U.S., so these ideas may not work in Germany but they are worth investigating. They are places that accept donations but aren’t a general place like the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

    1. A church in your area may have a clothing room for people down on their luck or who are starting over due to a fire or other disaster.
    2. A battered woman’s shelter. (It would be nice if they aren’t needed in Germany.)
    3. A school.
    4. A swap. In the area where my sister lives, someone will organize a clothing swap or a household goods swap. You bring your stuff and can take someone else’s if you like. She finds out about them on Craigslist or Meetup which are online websites/apps that people advertise and post events on.

    Hope these ideas help. Good luck!
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
    We are finally making progress on the last area to be unpacked from the move, the garage.

    At this point we have the various workbenches more or less where they go (there may be a shove six inches this way or that) and have an idea of where we are putting various things, and the rough categories; all the stuff for the car is to go over here, all the tall yard tools over there, the woodworking stuff along the back wall, the electronics on the built-in bench in the corner. Now we have a set of shelves to build to hold the large plastic totes and boxes that don't get unpacked. I personally don't think he needs to keep the memorabilia of his first wedding, but that's for him to decide, not me. And it lets me put the boxes of seasonal decorations somewhere besides the spare bedroom closet. (I decorate for the four seasons of the year, with garlands and different curtains summer and winter and such.)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    I made some organizing progress last weekend too. It felt good even if it was small (but time consuming). Yeah me!

    I finally, organized and de-clutter two of the drawers in the office furniture. I threw away things that I didn't even know I had (not needed either), some stationary related items are going to the donation center, and the rest that are needed and useful are neatly organized in the dividers.

    I also organized two boxes with greeting cards, labels and seals. I get a lot of the address's labels and seals from organizations that I support and contribute during the year, and I needed to throw away sheets of labels. I wish they didn't send me so much stuff that end up in the shredder after all. What a waste.

    Still more to do in the office cabinet, but it has been a good start.

    I feel you. Those endless address labels and notepads and other little thank yous that I get from the charitable organization I support are just over the top. I use the notepads, but how many address labels do we need in the age of online bill pay? I get a billion more every couple of months. I use maybe a half dozen a year. I've got years of them stuffed in an organizer in my office. You just inspired me to go through and get rid of them (I'll keep the best ones, of course.)
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,131 Member
    @jenilla1
    I sent notes in the past to these organizations asking NOT to send me anymore labels, but I think that nobody read them or care. I threw away labels and seals for the last Olympic games (oh boy!). I also keep the best ones, and I give some of the note pads to my daughters in law as long as they don't' have my name printed. I hate to waste things but I have to be realistic, better in the shredder where the paper may be recycled than in my drawers where the where they will never be used.

    Good luck with your new chore!
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