Destash 2017 The Year to Clear

[PollyannaMom]

School's almost out for summer. What projects do y'all have planned?

We've got another week and a half here, but I'm off today and did one small project - weeding out cookbooks. I boxed up 19 "real" ones and a bunch of magazine-style ones to donate to the library sale.

This summer I plan to do clothing bins (already did my closet), craft supplies (tough for me, because of the "this could be useful" factor) and some other bins that have become far too "invisible" in an area that should not be storage.

 

[StephMK]

School's almost out for summer. What projects do y'all have planned?

Since I'm off in the summer, these are big project times. DD17 graduates next year so that's extra motivation to get things done!

We are finally confident that the basement leaks have been fixed so the floor is being replaced. That means I HAVE to finish tossing/donating things so that it will be easy to install. My goal is to have it all done in the next 2 weeks before DS's birthday.

I already cleaned out DS's closet with a stack of clothes for DN and a stack to donate.

Areas to address after basement-
garage
pantry

How about everyone else?

 

[OhMari]

I couldn't wait to get on the computer and post. Our Township had a bulk waste day last week, and I went to town and loaded up my curb. We finally got the siding out on the curb, that was warped and new siding was put on. They let us put huge cardboard boxes out on the curb, that were to thick to cut down. An old cooler, a golf bag, 4 tires-(the township lets you get rid of 4 tires), a old printer, 2 old barstools-I think they got picked up by "Pickers". A whole bag of plastic toys from computer games-I tried selling them and no one wanted the guns for a video game, hand held controllers-someone picked them up too. Then this past weekend, we took our outside umbrella to our dd's house to shade the back yard when the baby swims. We cannot have it at our house, for some reason, it is way to windy by us all the time.
I am finally getting my basement organized, but we still have a lot more to go. My dh is so resistant to getting rid of anything.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm back!! And I have missed this thread.
We have just been so busy with kid stuff and job stuff etc the purging basically came to a halt.
School is out as of today, DD's last day was Monday so we tackled her closet Tuesday. 37 clothes items, 2 stuffed animals and 7 hats and scarves later......Everything is folded and organized!

Other things I have done:
Put a new roof on the house. the contractor got a 20 yard dumpster even though he needed 10 yards, so we filled the dumpster with piles and piles of junk that was just sitting behind the building. He even brought stuff over from his house to top it off.
Sold a car to a friend and hauled that off
Purged my PTO bag and set up binders for the next PTO VP, that role is coming to a close soon. Gave the PTO Pres the Field day binder.
I have 5 running skirts staged and ready to sell on a FB group, Just need to photograph them.

My goal for summer is to tackle at least one area a day. Rummage Sale starts collecting items on Saturday and I have about 2 pick up truck loads ready to go already. I hope to have about 2 more before the sale starts the end of July. I volunteer at rummage sale and nothing will make you purge more than seeing never ending piles of stuff.

 

[PrincessKymm]

Summer is usually crazy for me. I also keep coming down with weird sickness/tiredness episodes. Not so bad I can't function but I've been resting more than usual and it's putting a damper on all my plans.

We cleaned out the last of my shoes. A friend of a friend had a house fire and the oldest girl and the mom wear the same size as me so I sent them everything that I didn't want that was in good shape. Also sent some clothes but not much bc we were different sizes. I sent some old t-shirts from DS's closet to their son as well.

DS is on summer break and bored so he's working on his room. Currently the floor in front of my patio door is covered in books since DS is FINALLY sorting through his books. I've been begging for months. I'll take any progress I can get!!!!

Closets are still on my radar. I think it's time to go through all of them again, mainly my clothes. I have a shopping problem.

 

[buddyjo143]

DH & I are already at odds on how to dive in. He wants to get a storage unit and just take everything there, and go through it months later as we move into our new house. I don't agree with that method. I think we should clean the house out as we go, and only store what we need to get the house ready for market and not pay to store a bunch of clutter that we're just going to end up getting tired of "sorting" and will most likely either, stay in the boxes stored in the new garage, or just end up chucking the whole box without looking through it.

Hope you are doing well and have come to an agreement.

When DH and I had been in our New Hampshire home from May to the following spring, we had the basement flood from all the snow melt. (Whole 'nother messy issue.)
We had boxes floating in the basement so we decided since we hadn't opened them in a year, we obviously didn't need whatever was in them. Solved that problem. Since then we have tried to keep de-cluttering. It is an on-going process for sure. So glad I found this thread even if the year is half-way over.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Hope you are doing well and have come to an agreement.

When DH and I had been in our New Hampshire home from May to the following spring, we had the basement flood from all the snow melt. (Whole 'nother messy issue.)
We had boxes floating in the basement so we decided since we hadn't opened them in a year, we obviously didn't need whatever was in them. Solved that problem. Since then we have tried to keep de-cluttering. It is an on-going process for sure. So glad I found this thread even if the year is half-way over.

We sold the house ! We closed on it two days ago and it'll be about 8 months until the new house is built. It ended up being a mix of methods. We did primarily go through room by room and clear stuff out before hand. Of what we didn't pack up to keep, it was either trash, donate or sell. That worked well, until about the last 5 boxes of stuff, but hey, everything can't be perfect right ?

We are living in a temp apartment for the 8 months the house is being built. All in All, everything that did not come to the apartment is in a 10x15 storage unit with room to walk around and get stuff out as needed, not too bad for a 2500 Sq foot house.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My summer has begun! - and I've started with one small area a day. (I'm hoping that gets the momentum rolling for bigger and bigger areas as I see the early results.) In the past couple of days, I've tackled the worst of my kitchen drawers and the "black hole" cabinet over the fridge.

 

[DawnM]

Well, I HIRED someone to help me from March-April. Then we stopped for a while. I was just overwhelmed.

We got rid of about 5 SUV loads of stuff, 9 large trash cans, etc.....

She is a professional organizer and decorator, but also a friend, so I got a really good deal.

We did a lot but I need her back for the rest. I just am not motivated.

 

[yeahdisney]

I like coming to this thread and reading the last page to motivate me. Today I wanted to tackle the end triangle cabinet with years of crayons, markers and stickers ect. With DD going to college I figured it could adios.

I decided to go into the basement and find stuff to go to finish filling the garbage can that goes out tomorrow. Then I just stayed down there most of the day and cleaned and rearranged it. I took a small car load to a family that DD babysits for. I got more that I will take to work to give out. I got two bag of books for my sister and a bag of stuff for SIL. Two bags to go to garbage. DD is going to take a small load to recycle for cash.

We plan on purging most of the toys in the basement just do not have a plan when yet. With DD leaving I told DS we will make it guy friendly so his buddies can come over. It is a finished basement with TV, air hockey and ping pong table.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Not really a destash but I just finished making my wedding album in digital format. Now to wait for it to come, then I can get rid of the traditional style scrapbook. They are just to bulky.

 

[AmyAnne]

Not really a destash but I just finished making my wedding album in digital format. Now to wait for it to come, then I can get rid of the traditional style scrapbook. They are just to bulky.

I am doing this too, for recent family trips. I feel a little sad getting rid of the paper scraps I meant to put in a scrapbook, but the Shutterfly albums have the option of a plastic sleeve that lets me save a few ticket stubs and such. I am keeping (for now) the paper photo albums I already have, and trying to get caught up on the later kids' albums, but going forward, it's going to be Shutterfly (or Snapfish or Costco or whoever).

 

[comicguy]

Does my son moving out with all of his stuff count as decluttering?

 

[Debbie]

Does my son moving out with all of his stuff count as decluttering?

You're lucky he took it! I have stuff from each my 5 kids...and one lives is Egypt!

 

[comicguy]

Got rid of a few things this weekend

1 pair of sneakers - trashed
1 scale - trashed

5 ball caps - sold (yard sale)
20 T-shirts - sold (yard sale)
2 jackets - sold (yard sale)
2 Tool boxes - sold (yard sale)
1 tool bag (yard sale)
1 woodworking dovetail joiner machine - sold (yard sale)
2 books - sold (yard sale)

1 stainless steel dish drainer - gave to son who is moving out
5 pair of curtains - gave to son who is moving out

1 personal mobile alert system (donated)
15 books (donated)
5 new round plastic tables covers (donated)


62 Items total have left the house on Saturday

 

[comicguy]

2 pair of sneakers - trashed
6 freezer burned items - trashed
2 mason jars - given back to original owner
2 craft sets - donated
2 tool boxes - donated
3 books - donated

17 Items have left the house today

 

[comicguy]

10 Books on CD - donated
43 Books - donated
1 5 Ton Hydraulic Jack and tool box - donated

7 old textbooks - recycled
15 magazine - recycled

76 Items have left the house this morning

Just added up what I have gotten rid so far for the year and it is only 235 items I so want to get to 2017 items gone!! Just 11.6% to my goal. A lot of work to do before running a 2 week robotics camp and a 12 night WDW trip all before school starts in Sept!!

 

[comicguy]

This afternoons decluttering efforts so far:

1 Star Wars collectible print - sold
1 collectible sports illustrated magazine - donated
1 Star Wars collectible stamp set - sold
103 comic books - donated
5 books donated

111 Items have left the house this afternoon!!

346 items for the year so far 17.2 of goal!!!

 

[comicguy]

This evenings decluttering effort:

5 more comic books - donated
1 book - donated
11 T-Shirts - donated
2 pants - donated
4 grocery bags of old paperwork - shredded/recycled
2 outdated can goods - trashed

25 Items have left the house this evening

371/2017 items for the year so far 18.3% of goal

 

[comicguy]

This mornings decluutering effort yeilded:

1 pair crocs (DW's) - donated
2 pair dress shoes (DW's) - donated
7 T-shirts - donated
4 pair pants donated
5 dress shirts (DW's) - donated
5 pair pants (DW's) - donated
1 spring jacket - donated

12 pair socks - trashed
2 carboard boxes - recycled
2 T-shirts - trashed
2 trash bags of assorted papers and stuff
2 pillow cases (ripped) - trashed
1 pair of pants (ripped) - trashed
1 sheet (very worn) - trashed

47 items left the house this morning

418/2017 items for the year so far 20.7% of goal