2011 Destashing Thread

[Gillennj]

Our city has a an annual "Shred Day" where each household can bring 1-2 paper/banker box sized boxes of old documents to shred free of charge in a large industrial shredder. I'm really looking forward to that this spring, as our pile would certainly burn up our little office shredder. You my want to check to see if your community offers such a thing.

Also, for those donating/recycling old PC's, I HIGHLY recommend Darik's Boot and Nuke to truly eliminate everything from a hard drive. It takes awhile to run, but the peace of mind is fantastic knowing NOTHING will be pulled from that old hard drive.

Download it for FREE from here: http://www.dban.org/

 

[thebeesknees]

I went through the play room on Friday and pulled out 4 bags of stuff to donate. It's mostly baby toys that my kids have outgrown. I did save one small bag of baby toys for when I babysit or have company, but other than that, everything else went. I have a crib that needs to go, but I have no idea what to do with it. It's a drop-side crib and I know those have now been banned. It is in great shape, no issues with hardware or anything, but the thrift store won't take it. Anyone know if something like that would be OK to list on Craig's List?

As far as keeping toys, I decided that there are some of my kids' stuff that I will hold on to for the grandkids someday. That would be: the GeoTrax train set, the Little People, and the Legos. Those are pretty classic toys that appeal to a wide range of ages. I can fit those nicely into Rubbermaid totes and store them in our storage closet without taking up too much room. Everything else is getting donated as they outgrow it.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I went through the play room on Friday and pulled out 4 bags of stuff to donate. It's mostly baby toys that my kids have outgrown. I did save one small bag of baby toys for when I babysit or have company, but other than that, everything else went. I have a crib that needs to go, but I have no idea what to do with it. It's a drop-side crib and I know those have now been banned. It is in great shape, no issues with hardware or anything, but the thrift store won't take it. Anyone know if something like that would be OK to list on Craig's List?

As far as keeping toys, I decided that there are some of my kids' stuff that I will hold on to for the grandkids someday. That would be: the GeoTrax train set, the Little People, and the Legos. Those are pretty classic toys that appeal to a wide range of ages. I can fit those nicely into Rubbermaid totes and store them in our storage closet without taking up too much room. Everything else is getting donated as they outgrow it.

From what I read it's okay to still use a drop-side crib as long as that specific one has not been recalled, they're just not supposed to make/sell them anymore so I think it would be fine to list on craigslist if it has not been recalled.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I finished going through the boys' shorts and have a stack to list on ebay, I think I'll list them as a lot.

Our weather is beautiful here today so I also decluttered a large branch out of my front yard, lol. DS and I dragged it to a corner of our back yard that we use to burn, now it's just waiting for DH to cut it up on his day off and we'll burn it or use it for our firepit. I also trimmed back our bushes in the front of our house, they were scraping our windows every time the wind blew and driving me insane so I finally took care of them and they look really nice now, I hadn't realized how scraggly they were getting.

 

[donac]

I am moving slowly through my sewing stash. This is the first goal for this year. I have gotten rid of three bags of stuff and at least one recycle bin of paper.

 

[redandblue]

I got rid of some stuff. Some books to a friend, I give alot of DD's clothes to my cousin-in-law who's baby is 6 months younger. SIL usually gets DS's clothes for my nephew who is 6mos younger but he doesn't grow out of clothes as fast anymore thank goodness.

My cousins and I want to have a garage sale this spring/early summer, but it is hard just keeping the stuff until then. DS is 3 and DD turned 1 mid-Jan so by summer all those baby toys can be sold in the garage sale.

Sold the excersaucer on CL for $25 and the jumperoo on CL for $30. I still need to get rid of the swing, bouncer and play mat I want to sell those on CL because I think you can get more on CL than at a garage sale.

 

[weluvdizne]

I'm late joining, but I'm here. I did a lot last year, but if you look around my house, you just can't tell. I need to get this stuff out of here!
Busy the next 3 days, but this weekend, I plan to get stuff listed on CL and E-bay. I will keep reminding myself that as a bonus, I'll be making some extra $ which I plan to use to treat my dd to BBB on our trip. Since it's a luxury that I want to do, I want to raise the $ to do it.
I will say this - being part of this thread and working hard to clear my house last year has made me look at shopping differently. It makes me mad to get so much less in return for something than what I paid for it. I also dread the thought of having to destash again when I buy too much.
That said, I also just joined the no-buy February thread. My freezer/fridge and pantry are all stuffed. I'm only buying what we need in groceries until the rest is used up! Off to make menus for the rest of the week. Hope to report lots of decluttering after the weekend. Thanks for the motivation!

 

[mrsklamc]

Snow day...well, ice day really. Using it to sort through a box and then dig through my closet. For as long as we have power, anyway.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Snow day...well, ice day really. Using it to sort through a box and then dig through my closet. For as long as we have power, anyway.

Yuck, you'll have to keep moving to stay warm

I cleaned out the kids' craft area yesterday. I found a few educational things that my kids have outgrown to give to my neighbor and had a Walmart bag stuffed full that went in the trash.

Today I'm working on my kitchen. I'm spring cleaning as I go and doing some decorating touch ups. Yesterday I worked on the living room and I'm really happy with how nice it looks in there now. I still need to steam clean the carpet in there, but I can't do it with sick kids home today.

ETA: I think I'll also purge my coat closet today. It's small so all that's in it are coats and lunch boxes, but I like the idea I read on the organizational thread about putting up a shoe holder for hats/gloves so I'm going to straighten it up so I can do that once I buy one (hopefully at the Dollar Tree).

 

[bridget]

Another snow day here! I probably will work on the toys

 

[OceanAnnie]

Donated a large bag of clothes yesterday. I have another bag of kids things to donate today.

Baby steps.

 

[mafibisha]

I'm late joining, but I'm here. I did a lot last year, but if you look around my house, you just can't tell. I need to get this stuff out of here! Busy the next 3 days, but this weekend, I plan to get stuff listed on CL and E-bay. I will keep reminding myself that as a bonus, I'll be making some extra $ which I plan to use to treat my dd to BBB on our trip. Since it's a luxury that I want to do, I want to raise the $ to do it.
I will say this - being part of this thread and working hard to clear my house last year has made me look at shopping differently. It makes me mad to get so much less in return for something than what I paid for it. I also dread the thought of having to destash again when I buy too much.
That said, I also just joined the no-buy February thread. My freezer/fridge and pantry are all stuffed. I'm only buying what we need in groceries until the rest is used up! Off to make menus for the rest of the week. Hope to report lots of decluttering after the weekend. Thanks for the motivation!

OMG, thats me! I continue to *weed* through stuff and have purged A TON of things! And yet its difficult to tell! Must mean we still have too much stuff!!

Although my mom always says that only the mom can tell whats been done around the house re cleaning, decluttering (that is if shes the one doing it LOL and it usually is around here )

 

[princessbride6205]

I have started the destash. It feels so good! We found some old cell phones that we sent in to the cell phones for soldiers program. DH listed his old iphone on ebay. I collected a small shopping bag of baby stuff to give to a coworker.
So those are definitely baby steps. I have a bunch of clothes I want to bring to Once Upon a Child to see if I can at least get a little money - but I need to organize all that first.

Any advice on getting rid of toys? I'm ready to part with some but I'm having a hard time deciding what items. Also, DD remembers everything, so I'm trying to figure out if it's better to have her help decide what toys to pass along or just be sneaky.

 

[mrsklamc]

Any advice on getting rid of toys? I'm ready to part with some but I'm having a hard time deciding what items. Also, DD remembers everything, so I'm trying to figure out if it's better to have her help decide what toys to pass along or just be sneaky.

I feel strongly about involving the kids for two reasons. 1) It helps them learn to make healthy decisions about 'stuff' and hopefully not be where we are someday. 2) My mother made the WRONG choices when she destashed without me. I had treasured books that went 'missing'...until I found them trashed on my cousin's bedroom floor.

 

[talulabelle]

Tackled the hall coat closet that I don't think had been cleaned out since we moved here over 6 years ago. There was no system or proper containers in there so everything was just tossed up onto shelves or falling to the floor. Lately it had been so bad that we weren't even trying to find stuff in there ,we were just avoiding it. Many coats were on flimsy hangers and falling to the ground. I bought all new sturdy wood hangers for the coats I kept, got rid of half of the stuff in there and will take it to Goodwill. I bought a bunch of pretty storage baskets and am sorting all the gloves hats scarves ,etc into them. The floor doesn't hold anything but boots now. So happy.

 

[PaulaSue]

I took 2 bags of clothes to GW and have 4 totes full of yard sale stuff ready to price (aunts sale in a few weeks).

My big (to me) project on the burnner is organizing all my recipes. I get tons of cookbooks at yard sales and a few weks ago tore ouot all interesting articles. Well the pile has been sitting for a few weeks just getting moved to clean.

So today I came up with a great idea. DD wants to earn money and has a snow day today. I am paying her to cut nice and sort into an organizer all the recipes and then later I can go back and staple into the 3 ring binders I started years ago with out odds and end reciepes.

So 7 cookbooks out and 100? reciepes I might use one day easy to find and 1 kid staying out of trouble today, all for $5, so Worth it!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I took 2 bags of clothes to GW and have 4 totes full of yard sale stuff ready to price (aunts sale in a few weeks).

My big (to me) project on the burnner is organizing all my recipes. I get tons of cookbooks at yard sales and a few weks ago tore ouot all interesting articles. Well the pile has been sitting for a few weeks just getting moved to clean.

So today I came up with a great idea. DD wants to earn money and has a snow day today. I am paying her to cut nice and sort into an organizer all the recipes and then later I can go back and staple into the 3 ring binders I started years ago with out odds and end reciepes.

So 7 cookbooks out and 100? reciepes I might use one day easy to find and 1 kid staying out of trouble today, all for $5, so Worth it!

That sounds like a great idea, I'm going to remember that one, I haven't tackled my recipes yet because I can't decide how to organize them yet.

I did get through all of my kitchen cupboards today. I took everything out of them and cleaned them. I ended up with one large bag of trash. I didn't do the fridge yet, but I'm pretty happy because in that whole bag only one thing I threw away was food. Everything else was things like expired medicine, a chipped mug, plasticware without lids or cracked, things like that. I reorganized some of the decor and I'm really happy with how the kitchen looks now.

I'm not sure I'll have time to do anything tomorrow, but my plan for Thursday is to do two of the bathrooms, the dining room, mop the floors and steam clean the carpet. That may be a bit ambitious, but we'll see.

 

[StephMK]

I'm happy to see this thread again! I have done nothing this month, other than sorting a small pile of paper. We have a second snow day tomorrow so I am getting inspired to clean & declutter tomorrow! There is a stack of CDs DH has been meaning to take to a second hand shop. I will see what secondspin will offer & just pack them up to get them out of here.

I love the idea of involving the kids. Will have to think of some ideas for them!

 

[comicguy]

Well we have a snow day here at home and I thought I would take advantage of it by listing some more comics for sale earlier this morning.

Already today, I have sold 30 comics and 2 books!!! Not to mention, I reused some boxes and shipping supplies from X-Mas to box them up and ship them out. Just need to get to the PO later today.

It is nice to see more stuff leaving the house especially if I can make a couple of dollars while doing it!!!

Hopefully I will sell more later today!!!

 

[NoeyLane]

hi comicguy, i was wondering if you could tell me where you sell your comics? not sure if you are allowed to, but if you can, i would really appreciate it! are they specially packaged or rated? thanks for any help you can give!