Same here, @VeryHappy . I’m happy to keep my Kindle updated and pare down books to one shelf, but that makes one of me who feels that way in this house.
@veryhappy, in addition to college books, my husband has a whole trunk full of stuff, including his NOTES from college, “in case he decides to teach.” He’s almost 60… I don’t complain, because it’s in the attic so I don’t see it, but it’s just goofy.
Thanks to @thumper1 (I think?) for reminding us that when this is over people may really need to shop at thrift shops. Using that logic, I was able to part with some things I might not have otherwise.
I have several donate bags for when we can actually donate them. I’ve also thrown a fair amount away.
Last week we had a “big item pickup” trash service, and I was happy to see at least one thing gone before the trash people came.
One year ago we replaced the carpeted area with wood floors. I was able to go through just about every thing in all bedrooms. I attacked the final paper areas this past week upstairs.
Now it’s off to the cement floored basement. The final frontier.
All of it is paperwork that will probably take around 4 weeks at a “BOX A DAY”. Perfect thing to do to feel a sense of accomplishment. My kids will thank me one day.
I’ve been sorting through thousands of photos, and throwing out the duplicates and bad photos. I started with our own photos and got rid of all the albums. The photos are now in photo boxes. Then I moved on to my mom and dad’s photos. Now it’s my grandparents’ photos. Those are fascinating - not throwing any out, but have photographed them all and will pass the boxed photos on to other family members who may want to see and touch the originals. Other progress was outside today, bagging leaves and twigs in preparation for spring planting, still a month away here.
@psychmomma : I’m impressed. For years I’ve been talking about going through old photos but I can’t get started.
Went to the basement and opened four boxes trying to find one with stuff I can get rid of. Did not find that kind of box. 
No, I’m not going to be successful at using this coronavirus time to clear stuff out of the house.
What are people doing with all the stuff they want to donate when that becomes possible. I have BOXES of “best seller” books, but I don’t want to take them to the library now and have them mildew or something before they get dealt with.
I have a big pile of bags in the basement (may cause a domestic dispute if I put any more down there), and more in one of the kids’ bedrooms, to take someplace or have someone pick up. I’ve tried to throw away what I don’t think will be wanted.
I called for a large item trash pickup a couple of weeks ago, and may be ready for another soon. I would love to find new homes for some “junky” furniture, but it seems people are more picky these days than I was when I was younger.
@1214mom I’ve posted things on Facebook for free and had people pick up from the end of my driveway.
My gas grill died 2 years ago and today I finally began the process of disassembling it so the pieces can go in my trash rollout. I think I have all I need to put in for next Tuesday’s pickup, so I don’t have to fight with the remains again until mid-week.
Got email from Buffalo Exchange that they received my bag. Some good casual men’s shirts in with my things. Hope we get a little $. Last bag brought $49. At least the stuff that was taking up space is gone.
Finished 8 boxes and now have 5 boxes that need to be taken to get shredded (later), and 3 garbage boxes. Motivated.
Rearranged all files among 3 Hon filing cabinets, they are really nice horizontal 2 drawers used in my office in 1987-1990. FYI- I had no keys for them. If you look on the lock it has a number and I ordered the keys from them for like $5 each.
@VeryHappy I think it takes the right mood to go through photos. I’ve become quite frustrated with the volume of “stuff” we have, made worse by the boxes and boxes of stuff from our parents’ houses.
This phase has been fun - I’m seeing so many photos for the first time. Some of my older relatives even wrote who is in them and the year on the back! (lol, I know we were all supposed to do that.) I’m getting close to the end of this round, unless more turn up that I don’t know about. Entirely possible since my mom’s house hasn’t been completely emptied yet. It’s been fun seeing photos of my grandparents as very young adults. Some of the family resemblances are so strong.
I have been able to fill a garbage bag with bad and unneeded photos, so a little physical progress, too.
On my local Nextdoor someone was asking to consider letting her buy or take your giveaway stuff. She said she has a side eBay business and usually picks up her inventory at garage sales and thrift shops.
@mom60, I just joined our Nextdoor site today. I have to figure out how it works, but I think it will be useful.
I wish I would have known about it a couple of weeks ago, before I just put some things out on the curb. Hopefully I can use it to get rid of some of my kids’ stuff. Youngest is now 24 - they don’t really need their toys any longer.
I worked a fair amount on our garage today (so did my husband - yeah!). We filled up 4 trash cans, plus have a couple of big trash bags too.
He still can’t part with his notes from college, but he’s did go through and look at them. He’ll get there - he’s just (and I quote) “not emotionally ready yet.”
We peeked up into the attic space above our garage, but decided it was too much to start, since we already filled up the limit we have for trash this week and then some.
Our house is looking much better these days, but we still have a lot we could do. This clean-up has been one “good thing” to come out of the COVID crisis.
Cathartic rip up of my very old papers and put them in the shred pile. Let’s just say that the teachers and guidance counselors way underestimated my abilities.
Found a bag of unknown keys in my kitchen drawer that actually had the keys to another filing cabinet. I kept those keys at least 30 years.
Really coming along on the box/ photos/ papers thing. I came across a huge file with papers that said ‘file’. That was in 1993 when we moved! Still going through the time capsule.
I went through my pile of boxes. I keep some in a variety of sizes to mail stuff to my daughter. I had way to many - cleared out a big stack to put out with the next recycling.
Ventured up to the attic and quickly filled 2 trash cans. Also did a lot of recycling of kids’ old school stuff that was stored up there. Created one box of donates.
ETA - I recycled of tons of boxes I was saving for presents too. We mostly use bags and can always get more at the stores.
Done! can’t believe I finished the papers/ photos. The shelves and basement are very organized now. Took 23 days at about 7 hours a day to finish.
Kids got to see in texts old photos and notes from our parents and grandparents (v-mail had never heard of) from WW2, some posters from WW1 were fascinating.