2014 - destash thread The Year of the Great Purge

[pjlla]

I've helped as much as I can without just tossing things without his knowledge, which I am soooo tempted to do!!! He is a hoarder! We have these huge wooden shelves in the basement, where he put all his magazines when we moved in. Those stupid things have not been touched in 12 years, 12 YEARS!!!!! But noooooo, he has to go through all of it! I also gathered and stacked 6 computer keyboards. One he wants to keep because he needs to go through a computer that has the old round plug, special prongs etc. But I'm like dude, do we really need 6 keyboards?!?!? His answer is set it aside and I'll look at it later. He says that to everything! I've thrown up my hands at this point.
I know he works long hours and the commute is a pain in the butt, but geez go through one box.
My problem with stopping is I get so frustrated that I'm the only one who does anything, I say screw it. If no one else cares, why should I?!? That's when I hit a wall.

I could have virtually WRITTEN that statement! But thankfully my DH isn't much of a hoarder.... but he is sloppy and NEVER wants to clean out ANYTHING. But in the past, I have bagged up outgrown/stained/outdated clothes, etc without his knowledge/consent. I seal the bag and mark it with the date and if in 6 months he hasn't asked for ANY of it, the bag goes to the GW. Maybe others won't agree with that idea, but it has kept the peace here AND kept our closet from getting over-run. It isn't that DH wants to keep it all... he is just not interested AT ALL in cleaning or organizing of ANY SORT!

I would never get rid of anything that I know is special to him (souvenirs from fraternity days, etc), but really.... stained t-shirts when your t-shirt drawer is overflowing??? GONE!

And as far as wanting to give up I can only suggest that you LEAD BY EXAMPLE! .......................P

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm trying P, I'm trying. I need to attack my craproom but that will have to wait until Friday. We have drama for 2 hours tomorrow and I still have 1 more play to read.

My problem is I need to learn to say no!!!

 

[arwood82]

I think today was my most productive day in weeks. I had to get my "laundry corner" I don't really have a laundry room. My husband had to pull out the dryer to clean all the lint from behind it and make sure the hose wasn't clogged. I figured I had to move stuff so I might as well go through everything and organize. I also got my 2 hall closets cleaned out and boy was that scary. I also got everything hung up on the walls from when we moved in. We just kind of stuck everything in a closet and forgot about when we moved in. Hopefully I can get just as much done tomorrow.

 

[pjlla]

How's every one doing? I got an unexpected day at home, so I need to pick a project and get on it! Laundry is caught up, dinner is leftovers, and I don't have ANYWHERE to go today, so no excuses! I'll tackle a project and let you know how it goes!............P

 

[pjlla]

Made some legit progress in the basement today! I emptied three plastic bins and three tote bags and I kept less than a few OUNCES of stuff! I'm taking some stuff to school tomorrow to give away and the rest goes to the transfer station tomorrow! Just junk, crap, garbage.... why on EARTH was it packed up so neatly!!????? And DOUBLE why-on-Earth did I give it so much real estate in my home??

I also took some pictures of stuff to post on the FB yard sale and plan to post those when I get a bunch more stuff together and photographed. Easier to do it in batches.

I ALSO cleaned out the filters and gaskets in the dishwasher.... nasty job, but it needs to get done regularly and I've been slacking on it.

Last, but not least, I reorganized my underwear/sox drawer and discovered $230 I had forgotten about. I keep a small stash of cash in there that I save for special trips, emergency money, etc. and I have an envelope for each child's yearly Mother/Child trip in there as well. I THOUGHT that those envelopes were empty, since last year both kids had BIG trips (WDW for DD and MineCon in Orlando for DS).... but lo and behold.... CASH! A nice head start on this year's trips!

Along with all of this I, of course, washed/dried/folded 2 loads of laundry, ran and emptied the dishwasher, packed up two big batches of soup for the freezer, and spent waaaaay too much time on the Dis and FB!

HOpe everyone else is doing well digging out the clutter!.................P

ETA: The trash/recycling that I bagged up today is IN THE CAR ready to be dropped off tomorrow and also the stuff I'm donating to school is boxed and loaded to take to school tomorrow....no procrastinating for me today!

 

[pjlla]

How is everyone today? Ready for some PURGING??? How about the weekend.... any PURGING plans?? I have some stuff I really need to get working on this weekend, but I will DEFINITELY be making some cleaning and organizing time! I'm feeling SO encouraged by the work I've done so far this year in the basement.... definitely not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but at least I know that it is a TUNNEL and not just a cave with no way out!

Any suggestions for cheap but sturdy shelving? I have some mismatched shelving in the basement and I'm sure once I get cleaning I will be able to make more room, but I will also be needing MORE shelving. I HATE buying plastic of any sort, but I am certainly not wanting to invest a lot of money just for basement storage. And the heavier duty shelving I"ve seen at the Home Depot and Lowes (metal with wood shelves or metal with metal shelves) is really expensive. I had thought to make some shelving from scraps of lumber and concrete blocks (figuring I could always use the blocks in the future around the yard if needed), but DARN, those concrete blocks are WAAAY more expensive than I thought! And I had a chance to grab some free ones a few months ago and passed on it.... dang!

I'm at work today, so no purging here (I'm a sub so I don't have my own classroom or even my own desk), but will be making my weekend to-do list and it will definitely include some time well spent in the basement!

Love to hear how everyone else is doing with their purges! Anyone having any success selling their excess on FB or CL? I think that is what holds me up from purging quicker is that I always feel like I need to make a few $$ from the stuff. Sure, I donate PLENTY of stuff, but sometimes a few extra $$ would come in handy... especially with one in college and another heading there soon!

TTYL..............P

 

[mafibisha]

I ALSO cleaned out the filters and gaskets in the dishwasher.... nasty job, but it needs to get done regularly and I've been slacking on it.

Wow, you got a lot done!

Including the clean out of filters and gaskets in your dishwasher? Please tell us more! I'm hoping that's all ours need to work a little better!

 

[StephMK]

Made some legit progress in the basement today! I emptied three plastic bins and three tote bags and I kept less than a few OUNCES of stuff! I'm taking some stuff to school tomorrow to give away and the rest goes to the transfer station tomorrow! Just junk, crap, garbage.... why on EARTH was it packed up so neatly!!????? And DOUBLE why-on-Earth did I give it so much real estate in my home??
I also took some pictures of stuff to post on the FB yard sale and plan to post those when I get a bunch more stuff together and photographed. Easier to do it in batches.

I ALSO cleaned out the filters and gaskets in the dishwasher.... nasty job, but it needs to get done regularly and I've been slacking on it.

Last, but not least, I reorganized my underwear/sox drawer and discovered $230 I had forgotten about. I keep a small stash of cash in there that I save for special trips, emergency money, etc. and I have an envelope for each child's yearly Mother/Child trip in there as well. I THOUGHT that those envelopes were empty, since last year both kids had BIG trips (WDW for DD and MineCon in Orlando for DS).... but lo and behold.... CASH! A nice head start on this year's trips!

Along with all of this I, of course, washed/dried/folded 2 loads of laundry, ran and emptied the dishwasher, packed up two big batches of soup for the freezer, and spent waaaaay too much time on the Dis and FB!

HOpe everyone else is doing well digging out the clutter!.................P

ETA: The trash/recycling that I bagged up today is IN THE CAR ready to be dropped off tomorrow and also the stuff I'm donating to school is boxed and loaded to take to school tomorrow....no procrastinating for me today!

Way to go! Sounds like you earned all that FB & Dis time! on the bolded part!

No big weekend plans. Stressful week and just enjoying being kind of lazy. Going out to dinner w/DH tonight & some typical cleaning/grocery shopping. I did de-stash 5 lbs off me this past month. Not as much as I could if I buckled down and worked my WW program but going in the right direction.

Also organized/purged some of DD19's room last weekend. Pigsty of college rejects, home visit debris, etc. I know she should do it but it wasn't getting done & I needed to find some stuff she had in there.

I will be taking DD to dance on Monday and am definitely finally taking the electronics we can recycle there.

 

[pjlla]

Wow, you got a lot done!

Including the clean out of filters and gaskets in your dishwasher? Please tell us more! I'm hoping that's all ours need to work a little better!

Well, our first dishwasher didn't have any type of filter that I could find and clean, but this one does, so about once a month (ideally ), I unscrew a filter on the bottom, pull it out (and the filter plate around it and another filter under it) and scrub them down WELL with a dish brush and lots of liquid dish soap (to cut through the grease), give them a good rinse, and wipe out the remaining residue from the bottom of the dishwasher. Then I use a rag and hot soap water to wipe the gaskets around the edge (that seal when the door closes). I know (at least I THINK) that the gaskets can be fully removed (probably for replacement purposes), but I've never dared remove them totally, for fear of not being able to get them back in right.

After I do all of my cleaning, I refill my rinse agent dispenser with white vinegar (which is what I usually use there) and fill my powder dispenser with lemonade mix or lemon powder and run a short hot cycle (with the dishwasher empty). It seems to eliminate a lot of the grit and grease and grime inside the dishwasher. And definitely seems to improve the cleanliness of the dishes.

Way to go! Sounds like you earned all that FB & Dis time! on the bolded part!

Thanks!!

No big weekend plans. Stressful week and just enjoying being kind of lazy. Going out to dinner w/DH tonight & some typical cleaning/grocery shopping. I did de-stash 5 lbs off me this past month. Not as much as I could if I buckled down and worked my WW program but going in the right direction.

Also organized/purged some of DD19's room last weekend. Pigsty of college rejects, home visit debris, etc. I know she should do it but it wasn't getting done & I needed to find some stuff she had in there.

I will be taking DD to dance on Monday and am definitely finally taking the electronics we can recycle there.

NIce job with the 5 pounds!!

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Okay friends! Got down and dirty in the basement for at least 90 minutes today. Removed two large boxes and 3 paper bags of stuff to dispose of and donate!! Plus did some re-arranging of "stuff" and made better use of an old toy chest (my grandfather made it for me as a child, so I'm am not planning on parting with it). It did have a motley collection of blankets in it. I am donate two of the blankets, selling one that is new, and folded the others neatly and was able to use about half of the chest for other "keepsakes" that needed a safe home (year books, yearly fraternity composite photos, etc).

I also took photos of about 30 items to sell on FB. I came upstairs to post them online, but DS was using my keyboard and mouse for his new computer build, so I had to wait! I'm off to put dinner on the grill (in the snow ) and then I'll post them after dinner!...................P

 

[sarahk0204]

Last, but not least, I reorganized my underwear/sox drawer and discovered $230 I had forgotten about. I keep a small stash of cash in there that I save for special trips, emergency money, etc. and I have an envelope for each child's yearly Mother/Child trip in there as well. I THOUGHT that those envelopes were empty, since last year both kids had BIG trips (WDW for DD and MineCon in Orlando for DS).... but lo and behold.... CASH! A nice head start on this year's trips!

That totally reminded me to catch up on my savings plan. I'm doing that thing where you increase the contribution by $1 each week, and I've missed a couple of weeks. Now I have $15 in my envelope.

I got distracted because my dad is staying with us for a few days. Due to the deep freeze, a sprinkler pipe broke in his assisted living apartment. I did do some decluttering though because of it. My dad needed a laundry basket to use while he is here. I went to the garage and brought in his basket full of stuff that I had removed from his house last year. I went through and organized and discarded and, voila! Dad can use his laundry basket for laundry.

 

[Alexle2007]

The only purging here lately has been from my to do list. I booked the laser tag facility and made cool invitations for DS' birthday party in March. And got finished some projects for the PTA. Oh, I did help DS pick up his playroom. He and his friends decided to take most of it off of his shelves and you couldn't even walk in there. And my sister picked up the crib mattress and chair and ottoman I was loaning my niece who is due in July. So now there is more in DS' bedroom.

 

[pjlla]

That totally reminded me to catch up on my savings plan. I'm doing that thing where you increase the contribution by $1 each week, and I've missed a couple of weeks. Now I have $15 in my envelope.

Glad I could remind you!! Well... my "secret savings" envelope took a hit yesterday when DH informed me that for the first time in many years, we OWE the IRS this year instead of getting a small refund! It's frustrating because it ISN'T because we made so much more money, but because DH got this "reward" prize from work that counts as income, but we don't really get any money ("points" to spend through a rewards program). Sure, it's nice and better than nothing, but the items are overpriced and so we are being taxed as if he earned $10,000 extra dollars, but the price we got with that was a $2,500 refrigerator. I told DH that I wish the company would give him the option of the $10,000 "prize" or HALF of that in actual CASH! The college Bursar's office won't take a fridge in exchange for DD's tuition bill.


I got distracted because my dad is staying with us for a few days. Due to the deep freeze, a sprinkler pipe broke in his assisted living apartment. I did do some decluttering though because of it. My dad needed a laundry basket to use while he is here. I went to the garage and brought in his basket full of stuff that I had removed from his house last year. I went through and organized and discarded and, voila! Dad can use his laundry basket for laundry.

Funny that Dad got his own laundry basket back!

The only purging here lately has been from my to do list. I booked the laser tag facility and made cool invitations for DS' birthday party in March. And got finished some projects for the PTA. Oh, I did help DS pick up his playroom. He and his friends decided to take most of it off of his shelves and you couldn't even walk in there. And my sister picked up the crib mattress and chair and ottoman I was loaning my niece who is due in July. So now there is more in DS' bedroom.

Well, purging from your "to do" list is lovely as well! I did some actual purging yesterday, but today will also be a "to do" list day.

***************

Well my "purging pals".... I'm up and moving along today. Not going to church, so I should do something with my extra time. I have to pull out the suitcase and get packing for DS's trip abroad in 17 days and I need to do some kitchen prep for this week's menu, but that will still leave some time to CLEAN! Do I DARE tackle the kitchen closet???? Hmmmmm.... that will definitely be a project! Not that is is particularly messy or cluttered.... but it is still full of kids craft stuff and my kids are 18 and 16! Most of the kid-type crafting stuff should be donated, the school supplies can be consolidated and reduced, and then I might have space to be able to remove a few shelves and store the vacuum in there, which is my ultimate goal! We'll see if I get up the energy and nerves to tackle it today. If not, perhaps I'll hit DS's closet!

TTYL....................P

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

No purging right now, just trying to deep clean the living room.

 

[pjlla]

No purging right now, just trying to deep clean the living room.

How's that going???

*******************

Well.... the good news is that it the kitchen closet is DONE! Cleaned, purged, reorganized! And I even took before and after photos to share. The bad news is that they are on my iPad and I'm tired and don't feel like hassling with uploading them right now.... plus our new internet service is being SUPER slow today. I'll share them tomorrow. Anyhow, it only took me about 6 hours ! It was just one complication after another it seemed, but it is DONE and looks lovely and I have room to spare!

And I found something ELSE to purge this evening.... the leftover Christmas wine! Yup... I'm throwing myself on the purging sword and cleaning up the last of a few bottles of adult beverage! We aren't big drinkers here, so we didn't even finish the two bottles of wine at Christmas time....and I decided since I worked hard today AND I've developed a sore throat, that I need a "medicinal" glass of wine AND a "celebratory" glass of wine! The "medicinal" glass was the last of the reisling and it was DELICIOUS (probably just 2 ounces) and the celebratory will be a glass of zinfandel.... it is a BIG calorie/carbohydrate splurge for me, but YUMMMMMM!

I'll post those before/after pictures when I can! Hope you all had a GREAT day and that you are enjoying the football, if you are a fan. My men are gone, I am alone and done with my work, so I'm going to take a long hot bath with my celebratory glass of wine and then dive into my book!

TTYL...................P

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

How's that going???

*******************

Did ok until we got to DH's piles. I did take his office chair out and put the dining table back in. He doesn't work from home anymore so we didn't need that chair. I also got the corner by my dining chair cleaned out. It was just another horizontal surface. I just need to take one box to the basement. It's the new bathroom vent. Can't put that up until it gets warmer though.

Today I tackle the craft room. I'm just so over stuff!!

 

[arwood82]

It is so cloudy and gloomy today. But I will gladly take that over snow. However, it is making me lazy so I think I am going to do a small project today. We need to change out some pictures in our house. We have had new family pictures made so we need to replace some of the old ones with new ones. I am also hoping to get all of my laundry done today and a stack of papers sorted and filed or shredded. Not much but my boys want me to sit and watch movies with them. they never want me to cuddle with them anymore so I think I am going to take advantage of that today.

 

[pjlla]

It is so cloudy and gloomy today. But I will gladly take that over snow. However, it is making me lazy so I think I am going to do a small project today. We need to change out some pictures in our house. We have had new family pictures made so we need to replace some of the old ones with new ones. I am also hoping to get all of my laundry done today and a stack of papers sorted and filed or shredded. Not much but my boys want me to sit and watch movies with them. they never want me to cuddle with them anymore so I think I am going to take advantage of that today.

SO GLAD you realized what a priority that should be! My DS just turned 16 y/o and of course, isn't nearly the cuddle bug he used to be....so when he comes in and states "Mom, let's snuggle and watch a movie tonight" you can BET I will drop what I am doing and watch whatever movie (within reason) that he wants! Friday night we watched The Fox and the Hound. How cute is that??

*******************

Well folks.... I was home sorta sick today. Sore throat and stiff neck and tired from not sleeping well.... but I managed to get a bit done. Moved three things from the "sell it" pile to the "donate it" pile, packed up two items to ship that I sold on a Disney site, and met a woman to sell one small item I had on the FB yard sale... not huge strides, but okay for me for today. Plus I got up some extra energy and made tomorrow night's dinner already AND did a few hours of paid work for "other" job today.... so it wasn't a total waste.

Men are off to robotics and I'm enjoying a cup of tea while I decide what I will eat for supper (didn't want what I cooked for them). If I am home tomorrow I plan to take a few more photos and list a few more things for sale and perhaps tackle a few more items in the basement................P

 

[Alexle2007]

Today was spent teaching DS6 how to finally tie his shoes. That was a HUGE to do list item to achieve, in addition, to very costly for his rewards for accomplishing the task. And I cleared the dishes from the sink that my DH leftover the weekend. Not real purging but with the snow and DH and DS home today, it's hard to get anything accomplished, besides picking up behind them.

 

[ferrytale]

I got home early & intended to work on our taxes, but DS left the computer charger at his aunt's house, so I decided to try to be productive. Sorted a 3-drawer plastic bin so I could toss it (frame was bent & I could never get it open right). Used the drawer parts under DS2's bed for extra storage. Found homes for the stuff kids in the drawers. Also sorted 2 boxes/bins of old school papers I was hanging onto - I don't know why I thought I would need to keep everything from homework assignments to tests to artwork, but I tossed a box full of stuff & only kept a small amount.
I then got frustated with my laundry & started sorting some of that & wound up with a bag for the Salvation Army.
Not too bad for a few hours on a Monday.

 

[pjlla]

I got home early & intended to work on our taxes, but DS left the computer charger at his aunt's house, so I decided to try to be productive. Sorted a 3-drawer plastic bin so I could toss it (frame was bent & I could never get it open right). Used the drawer parts under DS2's bed for extra storage. Found homes for the stuff kids in the drawers. Also sorted 2 boxes/bins of old school papers I was hanging onto - I don't know why I thought I would need to keep everything from homework assignments to tests to artwork, but I tossed a box full of stuff & only kept a small amount.
I then got frustated with my laundry & started sorting some of that & wound up with a bag for the Salvation Army.
Not too bad for a few hours on a Monday.

Nice way to make the most of "found" time!

*********************

Well.... getting ready for my WW meeting today, plus laundry and such, so I haven't done any purging or real cleaning.... but I did just sell a bunch of stuff on a FB yard sale, so by Saturday morning I should be $30 richer and have a large box GONE from the basement!!

Tomorrow looks like it will be a snow day for us here, so I will take advantage of the time at home and pick something to clean.... either another area of the basement or perhaps DS's closet. Hmmmm... how to choose??? They both sound like so much FUN (she says with a good bit of sarcasm).....P