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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 1:02:09 GMT
I know there's a decluttering thread, but it's mainly the real things people are doing, so I didn't want to derail that one...as this is just about one specific author, but I'll post on that as I get started and make some progress. I've just discovered Dana K. White & her decluttering/organizing books & youtube channel. I stumbled on the book Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff, first and it really made a lot of sense to me and now I'm also finished Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under ControlA few years ago I had my floors done and had to move everything out of my apartment and half of it didn't make it back in and I loved it. Then covid...I gradually brought in so much stuff...bread making supplies, jigsaw puzzles, more yarn, more tinned food...and nothing left because donations were closed etc. Then my cat was unwell and a lot of stuff crept in with that - medications, extra beds, pee pads etc. I've been largely ignoring the neatly stacked boxes of extra stuff. Then I read this book and I've finally found a concept that makes 100% sense to me, and a women talking about it who doesn't annoy me  . Her main steps to decluttering an area are: 1. go through it and throw out anything that is obvious trash (wrappers, broken items, expired food etc) 2. if you are going to keep something ask yourself "if I wanted this item, where is the first place i would look for it?"...and go and put it there immediately. 3. "the container system" if you don't want to live with clutter, then you have to accept the size of your container and get rid of the stuff that doesn't fit in it. e.g. your wardrobe is a 'container' only so much stuff will fit and it will never get any bigger, pick out all the clothes you love best and fill the wardrobe, once it's full, anything left has to go. Then if you buy something new - something you love less has to go. Any declutters who have read her books and applied her methods? How did it go? and if you haven't, I recommend her books, It's changing the way I think how to declutter. |
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Post by monklady123 on Jan 29, 2023 1:17:52 GMT
Lol... I went to my library's site to put a hold on both books. Clicked "place hold" and got the message "this book is already on hold for you."  hahaha I totally don't remember putting a hold on these books, and I'm wondering where I first heard of them. I'm #2 for the first one, and #6 for the second one. Thanks for the review of them, I'm up for any help I can get to tackle our basement.  |
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Post by Neisey on Jan 29, 2023 1:24:14 GMT
I do my best decluttering when I have my DD23 help. She’s very good at rationalizing why something can or should leave the house while I get stuck on emotional attachment.
Good luck with your decluttering!
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,440 
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jan 29, 2023 1:27:32 GMT
I've listed to her podcast for years, A Slob Comes Clean. She started out as a blogger.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 29, 2023 1:55:53 GMT
These books sound good and I’ll have to see if I can find them at the library. I started the daunting task of sorting through and collating all the craft stuff I got from my BFF’s mom in with my own stuff (and I had a lot of stuff to begin with). As expected my work tables are a disaster but the floor is slowly getting cleared and bins are getting emptied.
I’ve been starting with the obvious stuff, empty boxes getting flattened for recycling, trash going out, a huge bag of plastic shopping bags getting dropped off at the store where they can be recycled. All the kid’s craft kits that DD received as gifts over the years that she never touched will be donated to a community free toy shelf, and a big stack of little kid dollar store puzzles, assorted flash cards and similar learning things will be offered on our local buy nothing group. There’s another group of more expensive toys that DD outgrew but are in pristine condition that I’m going to try to sell (and then she can put the cash in her bank account).
Once all that is gone it will get considerably harder.
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 2:03:57 GMT
I've listed to her podcast for years, A Slob Comes Clean. She started out as a blogger. Do you use her strategies? |
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 2:05:47 GMT
There’s another group of more expensive toys that DD outgrew but are in pristine condition that I’m going to try to sell She has advice on that...and a video: |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 29, 2023 2:13:20 GMT
I know there's a decluttering thread, but it's mainly the real things people are doing, so I didn't want to derail that one...as this is just about one specific author, but I'll post on that as I get started and make some progress. I've just discovered Dana K. White & her decluttering/organizing books & youtube channel. I stumbled on the book Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff, first and it really made a lot of sense to me and now I'm also finished Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under ControlWhile there are suggestions and recommendations on the decluttering thread, they can get lost in the multiple pages. So while it wouldn't derail the thread, it would eventually get lost. This year I am putting links to all the product and idea recommendations in the original thread so that they will be easier to find. If you don't mind, I would like to add these books and YouTube channel to that post. Also, we'd love to have you pop in and let us know the progress you make! Now I'm off to put the books on hold at my library, as I've never read them. I've conquered the big stuff but now am on the hardest part of all - the emotional and sentimental stuff. So hard to let go of things that belonged to family who is no longer with us. |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 29, 2023 2:25:32 GMT
She has advice on that...and a video: Watched the video and she is spot on that 90% of the stuff we think is 'worth something' isn't, as well as checking eBay listings for a reality check. The one thing she did not point out on the album though is that the one that sold for $11.50 included free shipping. That means the seller has to eat the cost of shipping that album to the buyer. The album that sold for best offer on $5.30 included a charge of $3.19 shipping that the buyer will pay. That decreases the net proceeds of the one that sold for $11.50. |
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 2:27:20 GMT
If you don't mind, I would like to add these books and YouTube channel to that post. Of course you can...I just didn't want to come in on that thread and be all "you have to read this book!", as it seemed to be more about people discussing what their personal goals and achievements are. I was also surprised I'd never heard of her before. |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 29, 2023 2:31:25 GMT
Thank you! I will add those links tonight. I just didn't want to come in on that thread and be all "you have to read this book!" I can assure you that you would not have been the first to do that if you had!  . Over the years both Marie Kondo's book and Peter Walsh's books have been trumpeted! |
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Post by minjoy on Jan 29, 2023 2:34:41 GMT
I read her books a couple years ago, watched several of her YouTube videos and listen to her podcast regularly. I like her steps,I can’t remember if these are it exactly or not. I have them in a note on my phone so I may have copy and pasted them from something of hers straight into my notes app. I like that you don’t pull everything out of the area you are working on because there is a good chance you could get pulled away and then you are left with a bigger mess. Here’s what I have in my notes app:
Declutter steps
Black trash bag and donate box
1. Trash- gather easily noticed trash
2. Easy Stuff- grab and put away easy stuff you see that goes somewhere else.
3. Duh clutter - obvious things that need donated.
4. Ask the decluttering questions
a. If I need this item where would I look for it first? If you have an answer go put it there now. Do not make a pile. If you don’t have an answer:
b. If I needed this item, would it ever occur to me that I already had one? If no, then donate.
5. Make it fit. Be it a drawer, shelf ect what’s left needs to fit in its ‘container’.
Edit: I know these are at least the basics of her steps, just not sure if copied them or typed them up for my ease of quick reference.
I read the decluttering thread here regularly too, just probably haven’t ever posted on it.
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 2:43:02 GMT
Yes - you are spot on with the steps. . If I needed this item, would it ever occur to me that I already had one? If no, then donate. This one really made a lot of sense to me, I know I both buy and keep things because I know one day I might need it and it's good to have. But really if I forget I have it, then what's the point? I'm going to try to let most of the "but I might use that one day" things go. |
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Post by Karene on Jan 29, 2023 2:52:20 GMT
The first books I ever read about decluttering were in the series "Clutter's Last Stand" by Don Aslett. He uses humour in his books.
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 3:00:12 GMT
Over the years both Marie Kondo's book and Peter Walsh's books have been trumpeted! I read both of those too but I never connected with their theories. With Dana...she thinks like me...I want to keep it all, it all has value, BUT if I want an uncluttered apartment, I have to learn to keep only what fits the limits of my space, and it's NOT about finding new and creative ways to store it. That's a big mind shift for me. "Yes it's useful, yes I love it, yes I'll probably use it - but I have others that I love more, use more often and don't have room to keep both, so this one has to go" |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 29, 2023 3:20:25 GMT
There’s another group of more expensive toys that DD outgrew but are in pristine condition that I’m going to try to sell She has advice on that...and a video: The video isn’t showing up for me. 🫤 ETA: After I posted, it did pop up. Watched the video and she is spot on that 90% of the stuff we think is 'worth something' isn't, as well as checking eBay listings for a reality check. The one thing she did not point out on the album though is that the one that sold for $11.50 included free shipping. That means the seller has to eat the cost of shipping that album to the buyer. The album that sold for best offer on $5.30 included a charge of $3.19 shipping that the buyer will pay. That decreases the net proceeds of the one that sold for $11.50. I hear what you’re saying, but I’m talking about bigger toys that cost $$$ new. Like a dollhouse full of furniture and accessories plus the dolls, I’ve seen similar items go for $150 on Marketplace that don’t even include everything we have. I probably paid over $350 in total for all of it when my kid was actively playing with it. Another thing is a wooden Cars train table that I have all the pieces for including the assembly instructions. It was $150 new and I see stuff like this all the time with many pieces missing and looking beat to hell selling for $75-100 and it sells. She took good care of her toys and it all looks like new. That’s not chump change to a 12 year old. I’ve sold tons of her toys and clothes at consignment sales in the past, but now the consignment place I had been selling through doesn’t offer as good of a percentage of the selling price so I don’t want to go that route. The kid’s toys and furniture were always the best selling items at those sales. I really don’t understand the people who post random stuff for sale for $5-10. To me that wouldn’t even be worth the time to take a photo and post it only to have to deal with people to sell it. That stuff I would absolutely either donate or offer it on our buy now group. |
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,440
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jan 29, 2023 3:33:41 GMT
I've listed to her podcast for years, A Slob Comes Clean. She started out as a blogger. Do you use her strategies? Yes...but not in detail. I'm a very organized person to begin with but I am also sentimental and grew up with parents who kept things just in case, like a dot matrix printer... I have a high "clutter threshold" but my husband doesn't. She has helped me look at the big picture and how to make decisions when decluttering that will give me more space and time. |
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 3:45:26 GMT
I’ve seen similar items go for $150 on Marketplace that don’t even include everything we have. I probably paid over $350 in total for all of it when my kid was actively playing with it. Another thing is a wooden Cars train table that I have all the pieces for including the assembly instructions. It was $150 new and I see stuff like this all the time with many pieces missing and looking beat to hell selling for $75-100 and it sells I'm not directing this comment specifically 'at' you, just having a general discussion about selling stuff... In general I find most people unrealistic about what others are willing to pay, and on the flip side the buyer wants a bargain. A few years ago I sold some furniture on Ebay for my parents and that experience put me off for good! So many stupid questions, then people messaging with ridiculous offers...even after I put in the ad not to do that. It was so much hassle and so time consuming, I learnt that I'll never sell stuff myself, I just need to donate and be done with it. |
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,440
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jan 29, 2023 4:01:22 GMT
My local Buy Nothing Group has been the best thing ever! No guilt letting go of stuff because it is going to some one who needs/wants it. And I've received lots of items that I've needed/wanted. From furniture, decor, kitchen items to clothing, there's something in every room in my house from BN. And I've gotten rid of so much!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 29, 2023 4:03:10 GMT
I’ve seen similar items go for $150 on Marketplace that don’t even include everything we have. I probably paid over $350 in total for all of it when my kid was actively playing with it. Another thing is a wooden Cars train table that I have all the pieces for including the assembly instructions. It was $150 new and I see stuff like this all the time with many pieces missing and looking beat to hell selling for $75-100 and it sells I'm not directing this comment specifically 'at' you, just having a general discussion about selling stuff... In general I find most people unrealistic about what others are willing to pay, and on the flip side the buyer wants a bargain. A few years ago I sold some furniture on Ebay for my parents and that experience put me off for good! So many stupid questions, then people messaging with ridiculous offers...even after I put in the ad not to do that. It was so much hassle and so time consuming, I learnt that I'll never sell stuff myself, I just need to donate and be done with it. Oh, I hear ya. I tend to do a little research up front to see if other people are selling similar things locally and what they are listing them for before I decide if it’s worth it to bother dealing with people over. I would only sell stuff locally with porch pickup. My BFF is really great at offloading stuff on Marketplace and netted literal thousands of dollars when she was downsizing to move out of state. She sold all kinds of random stuff and almost all of their furniture. I’m not that dedicated but I will put in a little effort for stuff that tends to actually sell and for a decent amount of money. Now on the flip side of the coin, we have a rental property and our renter has multiple decades worth of her own stuff, her parent’s stuff and even her grandparent’s stuff that she thinks is “worth something.” Yeah, it’s not because it wasn’t stored properly or maintained. So no, no one will actually want to buy her moldy 1950 LIFE magazines from her basement or the walnut end table that sat in a sunny south facing window for 40 years that was never oiled so it’s all dried out and faded. She has one living relative who doesn’t want any of it, so if God forbid she happened to suddenly drop dead, DH and I will be stuck going through all that junk. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 29, 2023 4:04:42 GMT
My local Buy Nothing Group has been the best thing ever! No guilt letting go of stuff because it is going to some one who needs/wants it. And I've received lots of items that I've needed/wanted. From furniture, decor, kitchen items to clothing, there's something in every room in my house from BN. And I've gotten rid of so much! I like ours too! I have a bunch of stuff I’m going to post on ours in the next week or so. |
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Post by Linda on Jan 29, 2023 4:14:06 GMT
I recently read these also - the container theory really works well for me - I like everything to have a place and it makes sense to not have than fits in the place.
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Post by wordsmith on Jan 29, 2023 5:24:27 GMT
I am here to chime in that this book 100 percent helped me more than anything I’ve read before. Something about it clicked with me and it fixed things like procrastinating on the dishes, getting overwhelmed by the never ending pull it all out and organize it method, etc etc.
I work by everything she recommends and it works well for me.
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Post by cecilia on Jan 29, 2023 8:27:01 GMT
Why are books, something you buy and store, so focus on decluttering? I mean you are cluttering your home to learn how to decluttering
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,466
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Jan 29, 2023 9:42:59 GMT
Why are books, something you buy and store, so focus on decluttering? Unless you borrow it from the library, but I get your point. |
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 10:35:52 GMT
Why are books, something you buy and store, so focus on decluttering? Unless you borrow it from the library, but I get your point. or listen to the audiobook or buy the ebook. So three options for not adding to clutter. I decluttered my bookshelf several years ago, and the only time I've bought a physical book since has been for presents. |
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Post by monklady123 on Jan 29, 2023 12:17:59 GMT
So hard to let go of things that belonged to family who is no longer with us. I was just thinking about this the other day as I was looking at the cupboard shelf where we keep coffee mugs. There are two of us here now and yet we have enough mugs for an army. How many do we really need? The reason I was thinking about it is that one of the mugs is a smaller sized one that my mother always used for her tea when she'd visit. But the last time she used this mug was years and years and YEARS ago, and she died a few months ago. I rarely use this mug because when I drink tea I use an even bigger mug than I do for my coffee. But I hate to get rid of it. I'm going to try to let most of the "but I might use that one day" things go. I'm guilty of this, but my dh is even worse. I have to sneak things out of the house so that he won't pull that line on me. I'm not talking about anything that's specifically his, but rather household stuff like an extra lamp that's been gathering dust in the basement, or a waffle iron that we rarely use. etc. My local Buy Nothing Group has been the best thing ever! No guilt letting go of stuff because it is going to some one who needs/wants it. And I've received lots of items that I've needed/wanted. From furniture, decor, kitchen items to clothing, there's something in every room in my house from BN. And I've gotten rid of so much! I LOVE my Buy Nothing group! I love being able to get rid of stuff as I find it rather than having it accumulate in ds's old bedroom (our "put it here for now" room) or in the back of the van until I have enough to donate. Also, I love being able to get things from other BN people which I can then pass on later... For example, I recently got four cups/mugs from someone, each a different lovely color. They're smaller than a coffee mug but thicker. Not sure what they're for exactly because for me they're too small to be coffee mugs. But I just loved the colors. However, I do not really need more cups or mugs. (see my comment above, haha). So I have them for now but pretty soon I'm going to pass them along to someone else in the Buy Nothing group. It's almost like renting them except only the original person paid for them. Why are books, something you buy and store, so focus on decluttering? I mean you are cluttering your home to learn how to decluttering Library. Best invention ever. |
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Post by monklady123 on Jan 29, 2023 12:19:28 GMT
Also, I would just like to brag a minute about my skills at quoting multiple people in one post.  Huge thanks to whoever it was here who explained how to do it! lol |
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Post by pjaye on Jan 29, 2023 13:00:18 GMT
But the last time she used this mug was years and years and YEARS ago, and she died a few months ago. I rarely use this mug because when I drink tea I use an even bigger mug than I do for my coffee. But I hate to get rid of it. But you can still keep it - as long as you have room for it in your cupboard. Or if you don't, then get rid of other mugs and keep this one. We don't have to get rid of stuff we don't use - we just have to get rid of the extra things we don't have room to store easily/comfortably. That's why I like this book because she's not all about being a minimalist and telling you to get rid of all the things, she just about keeping the spaces in your house functional and not holding on the things that you don't have the room to keep. ...and yes suitably impressed by tour quoting skills. |
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Post by alsomsknit on Jan 29, 2023 15:13:20 GMT
I've listed to her podcast for years, A Slob Comes Clean. She started out as a blogger. Same. I work at the container concept. I think this was from Dana…a couple of the first things I do is ensure the kitchen is clean, start the dishwasher, and start a load of laundry. She goes from her front door and works her way through the house. I begin in my bedroom and work from there. The taking items where they belong immediately isn’t necessary for me. She definitely is an influence for my decluttering toolbox. |
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