Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,467
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Sept 3, 2021 3:20:22 GMT
Does anyone else feel like now that you've purged so much, you want to go shopping? I do! I also think a big part of it is the avoiding of stores I have done over the last months. I've noticed where things need to be replaced or repaired, but other than that I haven't wanted to go shopping. The last 18 months I've bascially stayed out of shops and on the few occasions I've had to go in for things I find myself getting irrationally annoyed with people. I've moved more to click and collect, but that extra step, of knowing I can order online today but am at the mercy of the store for when my order will be ready for me to go in to collect it, has really made me stop and consider how much I want the things I'm considering. Except for scrapbook shopping. That apparently has seen no slow down in purchasing.
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Post by tentoes on Sept 6, 2021 16:15:49 GMT
One of my daughters challenged my ddil and myself to a "clean out" this week. I got busy and got rid of THREE garbage sacks of clothes from my drawers and closets. She told me if I haven't worn something in over a month I should get rid of it--so yesterday I wore three shirts during the day so I didn't have to get rid of them!! She said I was fudging on the rules. She didn't get rid of as much stuff as I did though! My ddil told me that they have ALL their clothes in their closet and drawers. I only have my SUMMER things in my closets and drawers--my winter things are in the barn!! So apparently, I have too much stuff. I told her I'm moving. (I live with them!)
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Sept 7, 2021 2:25:27 GMT
One of my daughters challenged my ddil and myself to a "clean out" this week. I got busy and got rid of THREE garbage sacks of clothes from my drawers and closets. She told me if I haven't worn something in over a month I should get rid of it--so yesterday I wore three shirts during the day so I didn't have to get rid of them!! She said I was fudging on the rules. She didn't get rid of as much stuff as I did though! My ddil told me that they have ALL their clothes in their closet and drawers. I only have my SUMMER things in my closets and drawers--my winter things are in the barn!! So apparently, I have too much stuff. I told her I'm moving. (I live with them!) Good for you to take part in a decluttering challenge. I would agree that you have too many clothes if you have to store a whole season in another location. All of our clothes fit in our closets too and I know we have more than we actually need and wear.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Sept 7, 2021 8:45:39 GMT
I cleaned out my closet yesterday. All except for my shoes. I figured I would wait a few weeks and then rotate my summer shoes with my winter shoes. So the winter ones are up front in the closet.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Sept 7, 2021 10:10:58 GMT
School started back, in person, this month. I've organized all of the supply stash. I have a three drawer Sterilite unit that holds all the smaller supplies that we will need to replenish during the year, like pencils, crayons, glue sticks, plus extra rulers, scissors, and calculators.
Then I have a largish lidded Rubbermaid bin with extra folders, marble composition books, and "project supplies." (The kids get a different project each month, so it's important to have stuff to choose from on hand).
I also tackled two bags of paperwork, sorting, filing, and shredding. I need to get better at touching mail and papers sent home from school only once.
I broke down cardboard boxes from school supply shipments, and recycled them.
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Post by mikklynn on Sept 7, 2021 13:49:33 GMT
I cleaned out the cleaning supply shelf in the main linen closet last week. I tossed a bunch of old stuff I haven't used. I reorganized all the rags into a long fridge bin, so I use the full depth of the closet.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Sept 7, 2021 14:34:18 GMT
So much progress lately! September and back-to-school always seem to motivate me as well. I've finished up the laundry room. In addition to the work I already did, I reorganized the open shelves over the washer/dryer. Weeded through the vases and donated a few that were duplicates. The cabinets under the laundry sink were emptied, cleaned and reorganized. A few things moved to the garage, while other things were trashed. There are two narrow cabinets above the sink with open shelving between them. I bought new white washed baskets (more, but smaller) at Container Store, along with those metal bin label clips. Now it looks more coordinated (before was dark Ikea baskets on white shelves) and better organized. The dark baskets were repurposed. The large one now holds the dog's toys and the smaller ones are in my photography area. In the process of relocating the photo albums from the banquette drawers in the dining area to the living room cabinets. That involved going through two of the cabinets. A few books were donated, an old family bible placed in the safe, as well as a few DVDs tossed/donated and some old backups of financial stuff added to the shred pile. When DH returns to the office he'll take care of those. In the kitchen, the new cutting board I ordered came. The old cutting board, along with a set of 4 of those plastic cutting boards/sheets went in the donation box. I know some love those plastic ones, but I hated them. They slid around and were murder on my good knives. I did buy one of cutting boards to use for chicken. It's non-slip and can go in the dishwasher. So far I'm liking it. Last week I went through more of the eBay pile and my sewing room to pull quilting cottons. The quilt guild I am a member of is making quilts to donate to Afghan refugees who end up in our city. I ended up donating 30+ yards for them to use. Worthwhile project and more breathing space - both literally and figuratively! It looks promising for DH to come home this weekend, so this week's push will be to get the scrapbook and slide projects I've got scattered on the dining room table and the big desk sorted out. The projects won't be finished, but at least I can make those areas more presentable.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Sept 7, 2021 18:18:17 GMT
Today I took three huge bags of gently used, but outgrown, school uniforms and uniform shoes, plus several pairs of snowboots, to the school for their uniform sale.
So, so very glad to have them out of my room.
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Post by tentoes on Sept 7, 2021 18:25:11 GMT
One of my daughters challenged my ddil and myself to a "clean out" this week. I got busy and got rid of THREE garbage sacks of clothes from my drawers and closets. She told me if I haven't worn something in over a month I should get rid of it--so yesterday I wore three shirts during the day so I didn't have to get rid of them!! She said I was fudging on the rules. She didn't get rid of as much stuff as I did though! My ddil told me that they have ALL their clothes in their closet and drawers. I only have my SUMMER things in my closets and drawers--my winter things are in the barn!! So apparently, I have too much stuff. I told her I'm moving. (I live with them!) Good for you to take part in a decluttering challenge. I would agree that you have too many clothes if you have to store a whole season in another location. All of our clothes fit in our closets too and I know we have more than we actually need and wear. Well, in my defense, I live in a MIL suite at my son's home, and my closet holds much more than just my clothes!! It holds my towels, my extra sheets, my blankets, my dog supplies, several shelves of scrapbooks, mementos, games, puzzles, cd's music books, pharmacy stuff, lotions, and boxes of photos, Computer supplies, (hard drives), purses, craft supplies, and other things--and the MIL suite isn't "Huge" either--nor is the closet. I'm comfortable, but my "hanging area" isn't "that huge."
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Sept 7, 2021 18:37:32 GMT
Good for you to take part in a decluttering challenge. I would agree that you have too many clothes if you have to store a whole season in another location. All of our clothes fit in our closets too and I know we have more than we actually need and wear. Well, in my defense, I live in a MIL suite at my son's home, and my closet holds much more than just my clothes!! It holds my towels, my extra sheets, my blankets, my dog supplies, several shelves of scrapbooks, mementos, games, puzzles, cd's music books, pharmacy stuff, lotions, and boxes of photos, Computer supplies, (hard drives), purses, craft supplies, and other things--and the MIL suite isn't "Huge" either--nor is the closet. I'm comfortable, but my "hanging area" isn't "that huge." Essentially, you are storing in a single closet what many of us store in several closets and bookcases around the house! No harm in having the off-season clothing stored in another place. Until we had our bedroom remodeled, I had a tiny closet so my off-season clothes lived in the closet of the guest bedroom. You work with what you have! You've done a great job over the past couple of years with downsizing from your long time home to living in a MIL suite. Speaking of your long time home, how are the newlyweds faring in the house? I hope they are enjoying it and making a new generation of memories.
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Post by tentoes on Sept 7, 2021 18:49:10 GMT
Well, in my defense, I live in a MIL suite at my son's home, and my closet holds much more than just my clothes!! It holds my towels, my extra sheets, my blankets, my dog supplies, several shelves of scrapbooks, mementos, games, puzzles, cd's music books, pharmacy stuff, lotions, and boxes of photos, Computer supplies, (hard drives), purses, craft supplies, and other things--and the MIL suite isn't "Huge" either--nor is the closet. I'm comfortable, but my "hanging area" isn't "that huge." Essentially, you are storing in a single closet what many of us store in several closets and bookcases around the house! No harm in having the off-season clothing stored in another place. Until we had our bedroom remodeled, I had a tiny closet so my off-season clothes lived in the closet of the guest bedroom. You work with what you have! You've done a great job over the past couple of years with downsizing from your long time home to living in a MIL suite. Speaking of your long time home, how are the newlyweds faring in the house? I hope they are enjoying it and making a new generation of memories. The newlyweds celebrated their first anniversary this weekend. They are doing very well, and are enjoying their lives. Thank you for asking. All grandparents like to brag a bit!! I need to make it clear--I am very comfortable in my area in this home. I'm very thankful to my son and his family for making room in their home for me.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Sept 7, 2021 23:06:50 GMT
I dropped off some donations today. It felt so good to see less stuff .
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Sept 8, 2021 13:26:34 GMT
The newlyweds celebrated their first anniversary this weekend. They are doing very well, and are enjoying their lives. Thank you for asking. All grandparents like to brag a bit!! I need to make it clear--I am very comfortable in my area in this home. I'm very thankful to my son and his family for making room in their home for me. A year already? Wow! That year flew by! So glad they are doing well. It also seems you are very happy with where you are now. All around the reshuffling of living spaces has been a success.
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Post by tentoes on Sept 8, 2021 14:26:45 GMT
The newlyweds celebrated their first anniversary this weekend. They are doing very well, and are enjoying their lives. Thank you for asking. All grandparents like to brag a bit!! I need to make it clear--I am very comfortable in my area in this home. I'm very thankful to my son and his family for making room in their home for me. A year already? Wow! That year flew by! So glad they are doing well. It also seems you are very happy with where you are now. All around the reshuffling of living spaces has been a success. On the whole, everything is going well. It's always difficult to combine two households, but I think we've done a good job so far. We just need to remember to keep the lines of communication going! I am doing well here, and I hope they are too.
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Post by hmp on Sept 8, 2021 18:45:49 GMT
I panicking and I need some help.
I’m near the end of moving my dad into a new house. He’s 88 but still working almost full time as a lawyer. This will hopefully be his last move. My mom died in March of 2020. She’s still not buried. He’s downsizing into a house half the size of what he’s currently in. At this point he’s packed 5 boxes of books. That’s it. Everything else has been packed, moved and unpacked by yours truly with the help of my aunt & cousin. We did get a dumpster and have made liberal use of it. Im on a first name basis with the staff of Goodwill. All remaining furniture will be given to Habitat for Humanity’s Restore after the house is sold. They will come to pick it up.
My biggest problem is he wants to keep EVERYTHING. Since he’s not lifting a finger to help with the move he has no idea of how much stuff he has. He also believes anything that doesn’t fit in his new house can be put in MY house. I’m a collector by nature & profession. I have a master’s in museum studies and worked as a history museum curator. I only left the profession after getting 2 auto immune diseases & 2 primary cancers. I know how to pack a lot of stuff into a tiny amount of space. However, I’ve been very careful with what I’ve allowed into my home because I’m very aware of the dangers of my hoarding tendencies. I’ve been successful at keeping myself in line until 2 weekends ago.
Now my house is FULL of boxes of his crap. My basement, hallways, guest room, living room, dining room. Even my kitchen is full of boxes. It is making me crazy and depressed. How do I get him to see reason? How do I get him to understand I love my original Fiestaware and don’t want my mother’s 5 sets of china and 2 sets of Waterford Crystal, and 3 sets of sterling... and don’t get me started on the lace doilies and tableclothes... Yes, I know it’s financial & historical (my mother’s side came here 1680-1720) & familial value. But I DON’T CARE. I used to think I’d just hold onto the stuff until he died but there’s just too much of it. I come from a background of working with a museum collection with tens of thousands of artifacts, stored or exhibited over 1500 acres. I know how to do this professionally, I just can’t handle this personally.
My sister & brother cut themselves off from the family years/decades ago. He’s adamant nothing go to them. I’m putting aside things I know they’ll want anyway. I’m not a complete idiot. I did pull out all the really valuable historical stuff, family jewelry and sentimental stuff.
I estimate there’s enough left over to fill a 4000 square foot house. Please help. I appreciate your advice, wisdom from experience, heartfelt sympathy or whatever you can offer. Many thanks in advance.
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Post by Linda on Sept 8, 2021 19:08:04 GMT
hmp = ((((Hugs))) and sympathy. That sounds overwhelming - I know my mum's house was and since we didn't clean it out unil after her death, it was a bit easier although still plenty of guilt over not keeping things that we knew were meaningful and valuable to her. If he's absolutely unwilling to let go of this stuff or listen to reason about what you do and don't want...can he afford a storage unit for it? It's wasteful money-wise but at least it won't be in your house and you can deal with it later (per your original plan). I'll be honest - there's not much monetary value to china and waterford etc...these days. Most everyone prefers more casual dishes and if they do want more formal -they tend to want to pick out a more modern style. And at the same time, all the people who got them as wedding gifts or inheritances are downsizing or dying and the market is flooded. What we did (and this might not be feasible for you due to the circumstances) was keep what we wanted - I kept more than my sister did because she and her husband are more minimalists and I'm the family archivist/historian - I'm also the one with children who wanted some of it. We then tossed the trash, donated the everyday stuff, and called in an estate sales company to deal with the rest. We didn't make much - I strongly suspect most was donated or tossed post-sale but we didn't have to do that ourselves.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Sept 8, 2021 19:11:34 GMT
hmp - You poor thing! That's a lot of stuff to dump on you to handle and house. Has he set foot physically in your house and seen how bad the situation is? Would he consider paying for a storage unit? Stash all the stuff there that you know should be donated/sold. Then when he does pass you just call in someone to haul it off without having to handle/go through it again? Is it possible for some things to just "disappear" or would he figure that out? Good luck, because no one should have to live in a house full of someone else's belongings as well as their own! There is sometimes no reasoning with older people, and he sounds like one of them. As for him being adamant your brother and sister not get anything, good for you putting some things back. They may or may not want them later, but at least you won't have the guilt of getting rid of it. My mom did that to me with a beautiful cherry needlework stand a few years before she passed that she did not want my youngest sister to have. I tried it with my needlepoint and I don't like it. Sis does cross stitch like mom did and it would be perfect for her. Mom has been gone 5 years and I'm about to break my word to her and see if Sis wants this thing. I'm tired of it being in the way.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Sept 8, 2021 19:12:10 GMT
hmp - Just let those boxes go. Your dad won't know otherwise. As soon as he is moved and settled into his new home he won't care about the rest (and it sounds like you have an awful lot of your mother's things that your dad doesn't use anyways). Within the past 8 months I've moved my mom from a 2 bedroom townhome to a 1 bedroom assisted living apartment then into the adjacent nursing home. My sister came and helped with the 1st move, but overall it all sucked so bad. I do have some things that I am storing of moms, but it's mostly photos/scrapbooks. The rest was sold, donated or tossed. Once in a blue moon mom will ask where such and such is and I just tell her it's at my place in the trailer. Mom is ok with that answer and doesn't need to know otherwise.
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Post by tentoes on Sept 8, 2021 19:37:24 GMT
I'm so sorry for you hmp. It's so hard to get rid of "family stuff." I hope the move goes well and your father settles in well. 88 and still working is pretty remarkable!
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Post by mikklynn on Sept 9, 2021 12:21:07 GMT
hmp I agree, have your dad come over to your house and see how much there is. You need to set a firm boundary with him that the stuff CAN NOT STAY. You don't need to argue or justify yourself to him. Let him decide to donate or pay for a storage unit.
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Post by tentoes on Sept 9, 2021 16:05:11 GMT
I went through some more clothes and got rid of another full garbage bag of stuff I haven't worn all summer, so I guess I don't need it. It will soon be time for me to bring my winter things in from the barn. I'll go through them before I place them in the closet or a drawer and see if I can find some more things to get rid of. I saved a box full of stuff in the next size up, and so far, they are all still too big, but I have gained back some of the weight I lost after my husband died. There are still days I can't eat, and if I MAKE myself eat, it makes me feel sick the rest of the day, so I don't do that!! But I'm maintaining at a weight now that my doctor is happy with.
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Post by tealpaperowl on Sept 9, 2021 19:05:55 GMT
I'm going through clothes tonight to switch from summer to fall clothing. Lots to donate I'm sure, if I haven't worn it all summer it goes.
We are taking a road trip to NJ this weekend and on stop is The Container Store. I could go broke in there. I love everything! Organizing is truly one of my hobbies lol!
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Sept 9, 2021 20:27:21 GMT
hmp I agree, have your dad come over to your house and see how much there is. You need to set a firm boundary with him that the stuff CAN NOT STAY. You don't need to argue or justify yourself to him. Let him decide to donate or pay for a storage unit. I did this with my mom after she had moved from her Townhome and into the Assisted Living apartment. Her response was that we'll deal with all this stuff later. Later was never going to happen so when she had to be moved again 6 months later over to the nursing home side and DH & I had to clean out the apartment we made our own decisions regarding what to do with the rest of mom's things. I still feel like I have too much stored at my house, but it is manageable and contained. When mom passes 3/4 of it will be let go. It is and was just stuff. Stuff that served a purpose or brought joy until it didn't. My siblings didn't want any of mom's furniture/household items either.
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Post by mikklynn on Sept 15, 2021 12:24:35 GMT
hmp How is it going with getting your dad to get rid of more of his collectibles? I hope he's more cooperative. I purged all my old plastic flower pots from the garage. My garage is looking great. Nearly everything is gone off the floor.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Sept 15, 2021 13:57:11 GMT
I'm getting through some of my Fall projects. I did a good "mom" cleaning of DS the college grads bedroom and bought new bedding. It needed a refresh, but still is and looks like DS's bedroom. Just a little more company friendly if need be. I also cleaned, purged and redecorated the China built-ins in our dining room. Now I'm doing a little Fall decorating around the house.
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Post by mikklynn on Sept 18, 2021 14:02:06 GMT
I purged some scrapbook stamps and stencils. I also am working on my books. Everything goes to Goodwill.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Sept 18, 2021 14:21:40 GMT
This week I went through the large bin of needlepoint threads and yarns. Sorted out what I want to keep and then stored in clear shoe boxes that became empty recently. They will be stacked in my old armoire. There are now 2 large ziplocs full of threads and yarn that I won't use. They will be donated to the church needlepoint guild I am a member of. Also ran across some more fabric to get rid of. A few years ago at the thrift store I found a series of quilt block kits, complete with instructions and batik fabrics. 8 of the 10 blocks were there. I've never been able to find the other 2 blocks, plus I've finally admitted I don't enjoy working with batik fabrics. A friend is going to check them out Tuesday and may take them. Fingers crossed! I'm also passing along a "layer cake" of Moda fabrics I bought several years ago (thrift store find again). I just can't get in the frame of mind to list things on eBay and at this point I just want this stuff GONE! This next week I need to find time to start the semi-annual 'swapping of the clothes'. They are promising us our first cool front (don't get too excited - highs in the mid 80s and lows in the low 60s ). I'm also tired of wearing the summer clothes and colors.
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Post by refugeepea on Sept 18, 2021 16:52:37 GMT
I haven't participated in a long time because lock down meant more people at home for a longer amount of time.
Two recent things I have done is organize a drawer in an old dresser. I found shallow plastic organizers with three compartments at Dollar Tree. I organized clothes pins and mini lights for a bulletin board and 2 foot trees I have in my living room. I want to pair down all my decorations dramatically. While I enjoy decorating for holidays, I much prefer to keep it very simple now.
My son's closet is more organized. He can go through a lot of clothes in one day. I was so sick of folding clothes when what he wears at home is old stuff. I now have a box system for everything but his school shirts (they get folded or hung up). All white socks are thrown in one small fabric bin. I don't match them up. The way he is with throwing, there is probably an odd amount. I have a separate container for misc. socks on the same shelf. Once either bin gets too full, I throw a pair or two away. There are some hygiene supplies I need to donate or figure out if I will ever really use them.
My basement is terrible! I need to really commit to getting boxes out to the garbage weekly. Especially with all the pandemic shopping.
Any suggestions on how to get my husband on board to get rid of things, sell, or donate? He's the type of person that is like we bought it, why do anything with it ever again? It's fine in the basement. That's about 500 square feet of unfinished basement and it would be really nice to do something with one side. We do not have a garage and have a small kitchen. I think we would be fine with just one side for storage.
I was thinking of bringing up one box at a time of misc. stuff for him to go through. Then have an honest discussion about decorations; especially Christmas because if I don't put anything up, nothing is put up for holidays.
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Post by refugeepea on Sept 18, 2021 16:56:50 GMT
I thought of another thing! I do need to make room for blanket storage in the basement. Long boring story, but the solution of family room, and son's bedroom are not options right now. That's one thing I really can't cut back on. I think we are at a good amount right now.
ETA: I have felt very scatter brained more than normal these last few months. My scrap supplies are organized pretty well, but it's being honest about how much I actually get done anymore.
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Post by pjynx on Sept 18, 2021 17:29:11 GMT
I’m just joining this thread but have been actively purging for the last 2 months. Our goal is to sell our house and buy a condo. But we plan to sell now while the sellers market is still really hot, live in our cottage for about a year and then buy the condo when the market (hopefully) slows down a little. But that means anything left in our house will need to go into storage. We’re trying to declutter as much as possible so we’re not paying to store crap! I have only read the 1st page and the last 5 pages of this thread, so I’m sorry if it’s already been mentioned….has anyone heard of the “Buy Nothing” project? It reminds me of the old Freecycle groups that used to be around. Basically, you join the group in your city and you can post pics of things you want to give away and people interested in it will contact you. Obviously you’ve got to be comfortable with private messaging your address (most people do porch-pickups) and never meet in person. But it feels really good to get rid of things that you no longer need that someone else can use. I used to donate everything to thrift shops but feel guilty because they are so crammed full lately and my items are only useful if someone BUYS them. Mostly they sit on store shelves. This way, someone is getting something useful right away and it’s not going to a landfill if not sold. Anyway, I just thought I’d share. Their website is linked below and you can search for the FB group of your area (there’s also apps instead of FB but I haven’t tried the apps yet). buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/#USAPam
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