Re: Declutter 2024: What Have You Purged Today?

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Took a bunch of donatables today. The box of jewelry, (mostly retro costume jewelry), gave me a bit of a regretful twinge. Isn't that silly? But it was fun to collect originally, and giving it away made me a bit wistful-- only for a moment though.

The housewares, dishes and purse in the bundle, I was glad to move on out!

LavernLuvsShoes · ‎07-13-2021

Swept the leaves and debris (from last night's storm) off the Deck this morning, and tossed several old pots and a couple of (dying) plants.

I feel a sense of accomplishment and it looks soooo much better now too.

Roscoe the Rascal · ‎04-19-2016

Thank you.

amyb · ‎04-05-2010

Hi ladies...well, this thread was way down in my "notifications" so I know I have not been "on this" too much lately. I'm steeped in summer activities...it's so fleeting in CT, we cherish it here...therefore, more summer activities, less indoor declutter. Add to that my outdoor storage, in this muggy heatwave we had the past 2 wks, I don't even go up there! Like I've said, I don't have BIG projects to do, but there are some "pockets" of things I could revisit, organize better...though everything is basically in good order now, and I feel good about it.

Gotta admit...been "doing a little clothing category damage" with summer sales...but all things I could use, replenish and update, since decluttering old things in that category. Nothing is "overflowing" or feels too much. Still extra room in decluttered drawers.

That said...donated a sundress, and top, to my church donations yesterday. Didn't wait to fill that bag more, as both items were "summer."

Headed to Cape Cod next week, annual bday trip to my favorite place. 🩵🌊🐚 Going to catch up on reading everyone's progress now. Have a great weekend and see y'all on the flip side. Keep up the great work, everyone...lots of you have really been at it lately!

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

@Oznell wrote:
Took a bunch of donatables today. The box of jewelry, (mostly retro costume jewelry), gave me a bit of a regretful twinge. Isn't that silly? But it was fun to collect originally, and giving it away made me a bit wistful-- only for a moment though.

The housewares, dishes and purse in the bundle, I was glad to move on out!

I don't think it's silly. I have some costume jewelry from when I was a child...sentimental value and memories are attached to them. One little pin I wore to church on my coat when I was a child. I smile when I think of it.

rnmom · ‎03-11-2010

@lynnie61 wrote:
@Snoopp Before I moved (first time in 34 years), we really started to work hard on getting the freezer and pantry back to manageable. The pantry is already near full. I use and rotate, but it's near full again. I don't buy tons ahead, but really hard for me to be to start a recipe, when I realize I don't have enough ingredients. I know I could cook at least a month, if not more, and not purchase a thing. Our family was always like that.

A friend only buys what they will use this week. She basically has no pantry. She likes no excess at all. Works for them.

@lynnie61 - I like having a nicely stocked pantry too. I save money by shopping when things are on sale and then if the mood for a particular meal strikes I almost always have the ingredients on hand so we can have what we want without having to make a special trip out or spend more.

rnmom · ‎03-11-2010

@lynnie61 wrote:
@rnmom wrote:
Hubby went back to his mom's house a couple of days ago and helped her go thru some more things. He did bring more stuff home, a couple of coolers, 2 briefcases, some other small things, I'm not sure of everything. I'm glad he's helping her, but he's bringing more stuff home, which doesn't thrill me.

He did come back here and grabbed the few donations that we had here before making another trip to the donation center so those few things are out of the house at least. I just keep telling myself it's still better to do it a bit at a time now rather than have such a massive job to do when she's gone.

He also took his mom an extra microwave that we had here in the basement because she didn't have a working microwave so we got that out of here.
@rnmom On the bright side, he is helping her really reduce, and would be so different if nothing was started when she passed. I'm having some issues. My father moved to independent living, and sometimes asks about certain items. Although I have cleared a lot out, I also don't want him thinking, I dumped his whole life of "things". Some is repacked and at least in the basement. I moved back to my childhood home a few months ago and I'm just taking it a day at a time. His 60 years of stuff, moved my 35 years of stuff.....it's a lot to deal with. Then my SO's father passed, so we had some of that come here too.

When I hear of some people's collections, I'm glad I never really started collecting some things. It's a process for sure.

@lynnie61 - Isn't it amazing how we manage to accumulate so much "stuff"? It definitely is a process for sure, we sure do spend a lot of time managing our things, myself included. I wish that we could pare down a bit but we are just kind of in a holding pattern for the next few years. I do what I can, but there won't be any big purges here for a bit. So you are right, at least hubby can help his mom, she has lots of purging that can be done.

Roscoe the Rascal · ‎04-19-2016

@rnmom wrote:
@lynnie61 wrote:
@Snoopp Before I moved (first time in 34 years), we really started to work hard on getting the freezer and pantry back to manageable. The pantry is already near full. I use and rotate, but it's near full again. I don't buy tons ahead, but really hard for me to be to start a recipe, when I realize I don't have enough ingredients. I know I could cook at least a month, if not more, and not purchase a thing. Our family was always like that.

A friend only buys what they will use this week. She basically has no pantry. She likes no excess at all. Works for them.
@lynnie61 - I like having a nicely stocked pantry too. I save money by shopping when things are on sale and then if the mood for a particular meal strikes I almost always have the ingredients on hand so we can have what we want without having to make a special trip out or spend more.

I like it well stocked as well. Not as much as I use to but still I like to get things on sale plus not run to the store all the time.

Roscoe the Rascal · ‎04-19-2016

@Oznell wrote:
Took a bunch of donatables today. The box of jewelry, (mostly retro costume jewelry), gave me a bit of a regretful twinge. Isn't that silly? But it was fun to collect originally, and giving it away made me a bit wistful-- only for a moment though.

The housewares, dishes and purse in the bundle, I was glad to move on out!

Not easy to move items out that trigger a special memory to us. Not silly at all. But you got the job done and now you will be able to enjoy the accomplishment you made.

amyb · ‎04-05-2010

@rnmom Agree...we do "spend so much time managing our stuff" in our life. On the flip side, not to be hard on us all...we enjoy it throughout our lifetime too...it's just that at a certain point, priorities change...so, to me, it's all ok. I mean that is if we aren't excessive and overwhelmingly pack rats, or it gets in the way of our quality of life. Gratefully, I was never at that point. But I agree....especially when, like others are posting now...when I emptied my childhood home, it effects us in a lot of ways as we do it. Maybe it's meant to. And when we have to find places for everything, the things not tossed, but the sorting, and processing, and oftentimes, as others have said..."inheriting" some of it too. That I recall feeling the exhaustion y'all are feeling now with it all...the emotional and physical exhaustion. Anyway, I kept saying "We're stewards of STUFF!" and that I wanted to declutter because I didn't want to be such a "steward of stuff" anymore!!

Learning process.

@lynnie61 Are you Italian, by chance? Lol...I ask because I am, and "we" are "notorious" for being the culture that had the "stocked pantry" in the basement...for "backup!" always. I still remember my nonnie's pantry closet "downstairs" at the bottom of the stairs to her basement.❤️ My mom stocked up too in the little cabinet that lead downstairs to her "rec room." Also, had a backup pantry in the furnace room and in the garage for paper goods...all bought when the sales were good!!

I'm less that way lately, in today's economy of inflated grocery prices...but as @rnmom said too...I still will buy something for my pantry when I see it on sale, and I also like to have certain staples, all the time, at the ready for cooking. Just I'm not stocking up on "backup", as much, lately. And in summer....because I love shopping produce at all the farmstands until Oct...I go weekly or as needed for that.