Decluttering victory

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Forum -> Household Management -> Organizing

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amother

Sun, Nov 01 2020, 7:59 am

So proud of myself! I got rid of my high school yearbook, about 50 photos, and some books last night! I never realized how easy it could be. Almost 75 percent of my photos are redundant!

amother

Olive

Sun, Nov 01 2020, 9:19 am

I use Fridays in the summer as a time to organize and declutter.

I make a pile for garbage, another for giveaway/donate.

yo'ma

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 1:43 pm

I can get rid of a lot of stuff, but pictures are really hard for me to get rid of.

amother

Slateblue

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 2:04 pm

wow your high school yearbook. I'm pretty sure I got rid of my graduate school one buit haven't brought myself to get rid of my high school one. feel bad getting rid of pictures even when the people are no longer in my life..

amother

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 2:33 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

Just to explain, I had more than 200 girls in my grade so my yearbook isn't that personal.

amother

Slateblue

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 2:43 pm

got it.

amother

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 2:54 pm

yo'ma wrote:

I can get rid of a lot of stuff, but pictures are really hard for me to get rid of.

Until you start looking through them. I had pictures of my ex nieces, of campers I didn't remember...some pictures you just gotta look at and can't figure out why you still have them Wink

amother

Peach

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 3:08 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

I didn't bother buying my college or grad school yearbooks. I didn't even bother sending in a picture. When your school has a graduating class in the thousands, most of whom you never met, and you graduate mid-year, who cares?

amother

Peach

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 3:11 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Until you start looking through them. I had pictures of my ex nieces, of campers I didn't remember...some pictures you just gotta look at and can't figure out why you still have them Wink

Tell me about it. My sibs and I have stacks of old family photos and nobody knows who anyone is in them. One feels bad about chucking them, but nobody is still alive who can ID them.

amother

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:43 pm

So I just want to add in here..If anyone is familiar with the minimalists you know about the 90,90 rule. If you haven't used in the last 90mdays and won't use it in the next 90,days you can trash it or donate it etc..anyways yesterday found a book that I must have bought about 18 years ago and never used! Craft ideas. And every time I'm like, but I really should use it, I mean it's a valuable?! Book. Lol. So my rule is if you haven't used it in the last 10 years...

The interesting thing I already spent so much time about a year ago or a little less decluttering my books, photographs etc..I guess it's like a muscle..the more you declutter the better you get at it.

dankbar

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 10:25 pm

What did you do with the craft book? Is it kid's crafts? Sounds interesting to me

amother

Peach

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 7:46 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

..

The interesting thing I already spent so much time about a year ago or a little less decluttering my books, photographs etc..I guess it's like a muscle..the more you declutter the better you get at it.

100%. I'm a hoarder by nature, a declutterer by necessity, but by now the declutterer has the upper hand. Most of the time, anyway. I've learned that the joy of acquisition is in the acquisition, not the possession, so even though I still go for the freebies, I get rid of them pretty fast.

rainbow dash

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 7:59 am

My husband is a hoarder. I dont find the point anymore of decluttering as he just sticks everything in the cellar. He says he will give it away after Corona when the shops that take it will open again.

When he buys food it comes home in a box that sits in the entrance until he puts it away. I cant do it cause we dont have space for all the extra stock.

I got rid of all the kids stockings. Have a massive big bag to throw away. No one wants it and he wont throw it away in the garbage. So it's also in the entrance.

He has a tantrum when I clean out the fridge. I only throw away the bad food, clean and organize everything.

And I got a new oven. The old one is also in the entrance as is 2 old printers

amother

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 8:28 am

dankbar wrote:

What did you do with the craft book? Is it kid's crafts? Sounds interesting to me

Not geared toward kids. It's country crafts.

amother

Peach

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 9:54 am

rainbow dash wrote:

I feel you. Genuine hoarders, even if they're painfully neat, are hard to live with, and that much more so when they're not.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 10:12 am

I LOVE purging every once in a while. It feels so freeing. I would ideally love to be a minimalist but havent gotten there at all yet and my husband loves having things of so many different genres, so he does his thing and I purge every once in a while so that I still feel sane.

Odelyah

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 10:18 am

rainbow dash wrote:

I think you need to get rid of stuff without involving him. clean out the fridge when he's not around. I don't know where you live but in the US there are many organizations that take any type of used clothing because they will recycle the stuff that is unusable. there are bins where you can just drop in the bags and you're done. H & M also recycles textiles but I'm not sure if they're doing it now. I recommend you start dropping off bags of stockings etc without calling your husband's attention to it. then he won't make a fuss. Sticking stuff in the cellar is way less bad then having things pile up in the entrance. it's embarrassing for your kids if you have them, it will affect them socially because they won't be comfortable having friends over. (Speaking as someone who personally struggles with my own clutter and dumps everything in my bedroom Sad

) What is he planning to do with the oven? You can post on Craigslist or Freecycle that it's free on the curb and put it on the curb. Same with the printers. If you have big kids you can carry the oven out to the curb yourselves. You can't get rid of his personal stuff without his permission, but old kid's clothing, the oven, the fridge, taking out bags of garbage that he doesn't consider garbage, that stuff please just take care of it yourself. Having all that stuff piled at the entrance is unhealthy and depressing for your family. Again, speaking from experience Hug

rainbow dash

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 11:29 am

Odelyah wrote:

It was broken and he plans to fix it. I also have a fridge in the hallway outside of the lift.yes I have 4 kids. Its depressing for me.

Odelyah

Tue, Nov 03 2020, 11:28 pm

rainbow dash wrote:

It was broken and he plans to fix it. I also have a fridge in the hallway outside of the lift.yes I have 4 kids. Its depressing for me.

then it should go in the cellar, not sit in your entranceway. are you capable of moving it safely yourself with your oldest child?

do you think he will really fix it eventually? if so maybe you will end up with a pesach oven in the cellar! Smile

seriously though what is he planning to do with it after he fixes it if you already have a new oven?

if you are pretty certain he never will, you can contact used appliance dealers on your own and see if someone will buy it for parts, and come pick it up. then you can let your husband know that you will be getting x amount for it and he may be fine with that. maybe he can't bear the thought of the oven going to waste if it can be fixed but will be fine with getting rid of it if you get some money for it.

sorry it sounds so hard. I think it's really important that you gently but firmly explain to him that maybe you can't force him to get rid of things of personal value to him, but it is your and the kids' home too and you need to feel comfortable and happy in your home. so going forward, you will be cleaning up your and the kids' stuff (and if you do the cooking then fridge stuff is your territory) and that any of "his" stuff that he needs to keep can not be parked in any of the common living areas but can only be stored in the cellar. but you need to start taking care of all clothing donations etc yourself and not involve him at all. and you will sacrifice your cellar but gain a livable healthy home for you and your kids. Hug

dankbar

Wed, Nov 04 2020, 12:56 am

Today I organized my baby's clothes.

Too stained, garbage.

Whatever smells of summer/fall like long cottons, put away.
Too small or big, put away

Whatever is not worth putting away went to doll box

Categorized into neat piles, in my armoire,
velour stretchies, pj's, leggings, tops, outfits, shabbos.

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