I started this last year. The first few months were easy. The next few months, not so much. I was getting house ready for some remodeling.
When I got the urge to purge, I went a little crazy and a few times purged too much. I also boxed up stuff I needed and am still looking for!
One thing that did work for the "maybe keep" bags - put those aside for a while. Maybe a month. Then go through them again and see what I wanted. It was easier to go through with fresh eyes and not rush to junk if I wasn't sure about keeping.
I do not do a bag a week anymore. Just when I can.
Also, I found great happiness in putting stuff on my curb for scavengers. I usually would out out Friday night and garage salers would come by and pick up.
Do the best you can. Lightening your load is a good feeling.
I started a bag today with all of the socks I'm never going to wear! It surprisingly filled up a good half.
Tomorrow I'll continue with shirts and sweaters.
ETA: Pairs of socks that are brand new. I've found that I routinely wear the same fifteen pairs or so and let all of these new ones people give me collect dust in my drawer.
gosmom,
you said: -random cords, chargers that I have no clue what they belong to, going to Best Buy for recyling
We keep all random cords in a basket and, last year, I put the unidentified ones in a box and labelled it with the date. It's been a year and I now want to get rid of them, operating under the assumption that if we haven't needed them in a year, we're likely to never need them, but wasn't sure what to do with them. I can give BB a call but you just drop them off and they figure out how to dispose of them?
I am in, I did this when I stopped working donated suits and such to Dress for Success, have tried to keep up but can see the clutter returning, baskets of cards, piles of magazines. My D & I did take a laundry basket of test books and AP books to Half Price last week and got some cash. This will keep me motivated.
After reading the thread the other day, I realized my New Years resolution for 2013 (and 2102, 2011, 2010...) was to clean out the linen closet. It's amazing what accumulates in there. I looked at the calendar and discovered I had less than a week to go, and put on the stereo, super loud, 6 favorite CDs, on shuffle, just they way I used to clean the house years ago, boogie woogie style! Several hours and 6 bags later, I was heading to Goodwill donation center, and I feel great! Next up, the kitchen cabinets. Now THOSE really need some help!
Countingdown, I take hand-me-downs from my sister all the time. She spends a bloody fortune on clothes and they always look brand new when I get them. Just ask your sister - if she's not interested she'll just say no thanks.
For those purging, can I suggest that you also consider donating to organizations in addition to Goodwill? There are many places who would love to have your things for people who can't afford to even shop at Goodwill. For example, I volunteer as a CASA for kids in the foster care system. Many foster families are in real need of bedding (sheets, blankets). We also take clothings for kids infant through 20 (including maternity clothes), toys, books, backpacks, etc. Some kids go into foster care with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Coats and warm clothes maybe to homeless shelter. Nothing wrong with Goodwill, but sometimes your things can make a bigger impact given to charities where the items are given directly to those in need.
I'm in. I think I will schedule this for Sundays. Goals always work best for me if I assign them to specific days.
Haha Mansfield! I get it. My H has become better recently. We take photos of things that are sentimental or meaningful. It makes the tossing easier! Before that, things would just "disappear."
Love this idea... Wish DH did.:-/
Had DS14 clean out his closet yesterday. Got rid of lots of "Grade A" junk at Goodwill. Last tax deduction of the year!
I'm going for something every day - it can be a single item or a bag of stuff. I've got to get rid of the mess.
Today I cleaned out my underwear drawer. There were things in there from when I was going through radiation 6 years ago. Gone, gone, gone.
ETA: your school district may have a clothing bank that would welcome gently used kid/teen clothing. My daughter works in the after care program in the district and took in a bunch of old games. My sister's classroom is getting a stack of children's books.
I'm in. I always resolve to deal with clutter, start off well, but quit before I've made much of a dent. Doing a bag a week may make it much less overwhelming.
Replies to: The "Bag A Week" Club
When I got the urge to purge, I went a little crazy and a few times purged too much. I also boxed up stuff I needed and am still looking for!
One thing that did work for the "maybe keep" bags - put those aside for a while. Maybe a month. Then go through them again and see what I wanted. It was easier to go through with fresh eyes and not rush to junk if I wasn't sure about keeping.
I do not do a bag a week anymore. Just when I can.
Also, I found great happiness in putting stuff on my curb for scavengers. I usually would out out Friday night and garage salers would come by and pick up.
Do the best you can. Lightening your load is a good feeling.
Tomorrow I'll continue with shirts and sweaters.
ETA: Pairs of socks that are brand new. I've found that I routinely wear the same fifteen pairs or so and let all of these new ones people give me collect dust in my drawer.
I keep one bag of them in a cabinet fir those chores. Then toss them.
you said: -random cords, chargers that I have no clue what they belong to, going to Best Buy for recyling
We keep all random cords in a basket and, last year, I put the unidentified ones in a box and labelled it with the date. It's been a year and I now want to get rid of them, operating under the assumption that if we haven't needed them in a year, we're likely to never need them, but wasn't sure what to do with them. I can give BB a call but you just drop them off and they figure out how to dispose of them?
Haha Mansfield! I get it. My H has become better recently. We take photos of things that are sentimental or meaningful. It makes the tossing easier! Before that, things would just "disappear."
Had DS14 clean out his closet yesterday. Got rid of lots of "Grade A" junk at Goodwill. Last tax deduction of the year!
Today I cleaned out my underwear drawer. There were things in there from when I was going through radiation 6 years ago. Gone, gone, gone.
ETA: your school district may have a clothing bank that would welcome gently used kid/teen clothing. My daughter works in the after care program in the district and took in a bunch of old games. My sister's classroom is getting a stack of children's books.
My biggest trouble is my kitchen desk and drawers. I have a drawer full of chargers, the drop off at Best Buy sounds like a plan.
I can see all the trash bags/Bose lined up already!
He's not wrong.
Also a great feeling when you revisit an area you have cleaned out - it looks so great!!!