2014 - destash thread The Year of the Great Purge

[dtr_angel]

Trying not to lose steam here... Yesterday I only managed to list a few things on ebay. I had some other stuff to do during DSs nap so not a lot of time left to go work in the basement. I'm going to go take pictures of stuff that I need to list on ebay. That's half the battle there!

I hope everyone is staying warm!

 

[pjlla]

I worked on the playroom yesterday and still have some more to do, but it's start. Got 1 large bag of trash/broken toys out of there and 2 trash bags full of things to donate that the kids have outgrown. I still want to do some more organizing, but it felt good to free up some space down there. We have a big old TV that someone gave us down there that is hooked up with the kids' games, but no table to put it on, so it's sitting on the floor. I'd like to get a table (coffee table or something similar that is sturdy enough to handle it and wide enough it can't get pushed off accidentally - no one sells them anymore, it seems), but I've been looking and can't find anything that fits the bill so far. I may check IKEA one of these days, but I don't know if they will have anything sturdy enough. Seriously, that thing must weigh 80-100 lbs because it took both my husband and me to get it down the stairs. I think if we ever sell this house it stays with the house!

I also need to get our old TV cabinet out to the curb (it's 1/2'' too narrow to fit the big TV). The small TV in the living room died and needs to get taken to the recycle center, and there is no need for a cabinet now that we have no TV in that room! If we ever do replace it, it will be one of those new flat-screen ones, but we've been doing so well without it I don't think we'll be buying anything new for a long time. So on my list of things to do this week is get the broken TV to the recycle center and also go through all our kids' DVDs to see what can be donated.

If you don't need anything particularly specific, try Craigs list or the local thrift store. Our big old hulk of a tv in the playroom sits on a kitchen table that I found on the side of the road a few years ago. I didn't need a table, but I couldn't just leave it. I ended up cutting down the legs to about coffee table height and there it has sat with the tv on it, ever since! I also see folks selling small tables, coffee tables, microwave carts, and tv carts on my Facebook yard sale sites all the time! Look around before you spend your hard-earned money!..............P

 

[thebeesknees]

If you don't need anything particularly specific, try Craigs list or the local thrift store. Our big old hulk of a tv in the playroom sits on a kitchen table that I found on the side of the road a few years ago. I didn't need a table, but I couldn't just leave it. I ended up cutting down the legs to about coffee table height and there it has sat with the tv on it, ever since! I also see folks selling small tables, coffee tables, microwave carts, and tv carts on my Facebook yard sale sites all the time! Look around before you spend your hard-earned money!..............P

Thanks for the kitchen table idea! I have been scouring thrift stores with no luck and my husband is leery of Craigslist due to some bad experiences we've had being on the selling end, but it never occurred to me to look at kitchen tables. One of those would definitely work and the thrift stores around here have those all the time.

 

[pjlla]

I'm at work here at school today, so no de-stashing for me today.... unless I make some time when I get home. Maybe I'll make a plan while I'm here about what I am going to tackle tonight. I am also working tomorrow and Friday, so it won't be a big destash week for me. oh well. I'm so glad to see that many of you are really cranking along well! .....................P

I actually realized last night that I DID manage to purge two items by bringing them to school. I had a bag of leftover holiday candy that I brought to one teacher (he has a candy jar in his room, despite school rules about things like that) and a stuffed Shamu that I had set aside to bring to another class that has an "ocean" theme going on this year. Every little bit helps!.........P

 

[4 Ears]

Just destashed a whole bag of papers from a job that I took a leave of absence on in late November. Not going back, just tossed that emotional luggage!

 

[superme80]

Cleaned of the bar in the kitchen last night. Had a party for DS #2 this afternoon so I needed the space. Also cleaned off the top of the dyer. All the too small clothes got boxes up and put into the garage. A few things were put into the drawers for DS #2 and DS #3. Then I got rid of THE BOX. The box is a huge box of junk my sister gave us for Christmas and Valentine's Day last year! She is notorious for getting the boys all those $1 Tree Gifts. Now a few things hear and there once in awhile is ok, but she always does this. She gets them "stocking stuffers" that they never use or play with. So this stuff has just been sitting there. So I finally just junked most of it. It felt great!!!!!

 

[msmama]

Got side tracked by illness this week.

My next task is to get all the bags of stuff OUT of the house. Due to illness and snow and frigid weather I have probably 20 bags of stuff to go and it's all in the guest room/extra room. Have to call the people that were supposed to come earlier in the week but got snowed out. But the thought Of carrying 20 bags down the stairs doesn't appeal in my current sick condition. Blah.

It's so easy to get side tracked and out of purging mode!!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Well if you'd have asked me two days ago whether I had unused stuff in my closet I would have said no, but thanks to a bad reaction to a new sleep medicine I was up at ridiculous o'clock and pulled 5 garbage bags worth of stuff out of my closet!

I'm not even entirely sure what's in the bags (doc said as a very rare side effect I may have suffered a manic episode :-/ ) as I bagged it all up in some need driven frenzy to purge stuff out of my closet.

I have the bags in my trunk and figure I'll give it until next week to see if I went overboard. I'm pretty clutter free so my guess is next weekend they'll go to the donation truck and something good will have come from the setback in my ongoing quest for regular sleep lol.

 

[delmar411]

Well if you'd have asked me two days ago whether I had unused stuff in my closet I would have said no, but thanks to a bad reaction to a new sleep medicine I was up at ridiculous o'clock and pulled 5 garbage bags worth of stuff out of my closet!

I'm not even entirely sure what's in the bags (doc said as a very rare side effect I may have suffered a manic episode :-/ ) as I bagged it all up in some need driven frenzy to purge stuff out of my closet.

I have the bags in my trunk and figure I'll give it until next week to see if I went overboard. I'm pretty clutter free so my guess is next weekend they'll go to the donation truck and something good will have come from the setback in my ongoing quest for regular sleep lol.

I would definitely have a second look at what you put in there before getting rid of them. I've gone overboard before (not on meds so no excuse!) and accidentally given away some things that I had to replace so it was a costly mistake.

It's good you found an activity that night but boo on the bad side effect that caused it! I hope your doc found you something else to take.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I'm in! Had to move a bunch of stuff around in the basement thanks to surprise accidental mold discovered last night when putting Christmas stuff away. Didn't get to go through anything but there is a paper box full of dh's old trophies that are going in the trash.

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My husband removed all of the plaques and saved the plaques from a few of his treasured trophies and then we donated the actual trophies. They are actually in demand for groups that cannot afford to buy them. We brought them to SAVERS.

 

[StephMK]

I am very grateful for this thread. I love that I can come here and yammer every day about my progress and to do list! Besides my husband, nobody else cares!

I agree! DH doesn't even really care to hear about it so it's nice to get to post here.

Just destashed a whole bag of papers from a job that I took a leave of absence on in late November. Not going back, just tossed that emotional luggage!

Good for you! I am finally, finally out of a career field I did not really enjoy. I'll have to go find my last office papers and burn them or at least toss them.


I have not gotten much done lately though I did tackle some non-regular cleaning projects when DD was home sick on Thursday. I got all the outgrown mittens, scarves & hats washed and took them to school with me on Friday.

Electronics are still waiting for their Goodwill trip - should be tomorrow when DD goes to dance nearby. It will be a busy week so no other projects planned at this time. Basement really needs some work, maybe next weekend.

 

[4 Ears]

Just remembered I had a bunch of Kareoke CD's that needed to go to a neighbor. 2 more grocery size shopping bags of stuff out of the house

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

Spent 5 hours today sorting, shredding, filing papers and paying bills. New goal to do this 2 times a week for half hour. All bills are on auto pay, problem I am finding with this is then I get lazy to check for errors. Then the papers pile up. One thing I am not good at decluttering is papers. Please send the paper fairy.

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

Anyone else notice clutter, debt and weight seem to go hand and hand. Cut back on any one and the rest seem to follow. Loose track of one and they can go fast the other direction.http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/confused24.gif

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

My husband removed all of the plaques and saved the plaques from a few of his treasured trophies and then we donated the actual trophies. They are actually in demand for groups that cannot afford to buy them. We brought them to SAVERS.

We collect trophies for our schools local race too. We try to keep the outgoing cost low because the entrance fee goes to the gym program to buy new equipment.

Anyone else notice clutter, debt and weight seem to go hand and hand. Cut back on any one and the rest seem to follow. Loose track of one and they can go fast the other direction.http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/confused24.gif

Oh I know it does! You're house is disorganized so you buy stuff you know you have but can't find. And if the kitchen is disorganized you tend to eat out more, adding lots of extra calories. Been there, done that!

 

[lovin'DVC]

I just found this thread, and it is EXACTLY what we need. We have been slowly decluttering our house over many, many years, but now we need a big push to just clear out the rest of the clutter so we can give it all a good cleaning and keep it from getting bad again. My kids are 16, 14, 12 and 12, so that helps a lot. When they were earlier they wanted to keep everything. Now they have outgrown so many toys and hobbies, and they want it decluttered as much as I do. I'm taking my boys to WDW for their 14th birthdays, so hopefully we'll get some cash from our Destash efforts to help pay for our trip!

Terry

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Good luck Terry!!!! I'm glad you found us!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

My decluttering efforts have come to a screeching halt. I'm starting to get frustrated with DH. 90% of the mess is his but he's so checked out because of a work situation that has him beat down. I'm trying not to get on his case to much but it's just....... argh!!!

Today I'm going to work in my craft room more. I'm just do done with it all. It's overwhelming and I really just want to toss everything but I know I would regret it. So I'm just focusing on one drawer or bin at a time. My goal is have a place to put my sewing machine. That is the last thing of craft stuff in the basement.

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

Are our husbands related? 80/20 rule can apply to who's stuff is taking over my house

 

[mafibisha]

Anyone else notice clutter, debt and weight seem to go hand and hand. Cut back on any one and the rest seem to follow. Loose track of one and they can go fast the other direction.

Oh I know it does! You're house is disorganized so you buy stuff you know you have but can't find. And if the kitchen is disorganized you tend to eat out more, adding lots of extra calories. Been there, done that!

This!

I actually had a couple articles about this but of course, now I can't find them. Amid all the clutter? Anyone else have them saved?