2016 Destash - The more things you own, the more they own you

[neatokimmo]

Good for you!!! Knowing that my kids don't want the stuff (always ask, and usually get a solid "NO!!!" x5) , and the payback isn't worth the time and effort, for the most part, I have taken dozens of bags/boxes to various charities. I know that my stuff is now blessing someone else.

We gave 37 new play doughs and a princess play dough toy to a three year old we knew. Natalie got about 200 cans through a Black Friday sale five or six years ago (25 cents a can). She loved giving it away, I loved recovering a $12 specialty container from her closet for my hall closet. Purging is fun!

 

[toystoryduo]

My oldest DD and I had a lot of motivation and energy yesterday and spent 5 hours in the garage. We filled 3 garbage cans, we broke down about 50 boxes for recycling, we sorted and organized my DH's work stuff, and we sorted scrap metal leftover from my DH's jobs. He took the scrap in today, and we got almost $75!
Best news of all? We can now fit our car in the garage with lots of room to spare! Woohoo!

We still have lots more to do, but we accomplished a lot yesterday, and I'm hoping this keeps us motivated to finish the garage.

 

[comicguy]

Spent some time de-cluttering a few more things:

Yard Sale:
42 Books

Donate:
3 T-shirts

Trashed:
1 moldy jelly
1 garbage bag of trash from the car

Return:
2 flooring samples back to flooring people
22 Landscaping Nails back to Lowes' (25.72 back in my pocket)

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

So I had a realization this week. We have two to four of everything due to marriage and our parents dying. I was trying to sell it. 40 hours of work made me about $150. The next garage sale, I made $15.

So trying to sell stuff off isn't worth my time. This reformed I might need this someday I will store it pack rat, is hauling stuff to Salvation Army. My sanity is not worth the max of 2k I would get from selling it. I bought a box of 45 trash bags to fill, I will call that step one.

Not sure if you itemize your taxes or not but we do, I write off all my donations that I can. 2 years ago, just adding all that in helped up to not owe taxes and ended up with a small refund.
Yard sales just aren't worth my time, I now donate to our school/church and we have a huge sale every summer.

 

[StephMK]

Photos are tough!! I'm a scrapbooker so I really hate getting rid of photos.
Start by sorting the blurry, junky, no one you know shots. I tossed a lot of Disney pics that were from rides and scenery type pics.
Next toss duplicates. No point in having 2 of everything.
Then sort by either person or date. Most of mine are sorted by date, but each of the kids has a box with just them in it. If it's cousins and you have a ton of photos of them, keep a few and give the rest to that person.
This will help keep things sorted.
Currently I am scanning negatives and slides (does that show my age that my dad used nothing but slides?!? LOL) then a lot of those are getting either filed in a binder with negative sleeves or tossed.
I also do yearly backups and a back up to the back up. I have 2 sets of DVDs and an external hard drive. One set of DVD's is at my house and one is at my moms.

I desperately need to do this! Thanks for putting into steps! I get overwhelmed and off track when I've tried to do this. I'm going to work on that this summer.

The decluttering had stalled out but I found some new motivation. I read one of those Pinterest lists of 101 things to throw out. For some reason, this time it really made me think. We have so much junk that while it fits in drawers and might be sorta organized, why are we holding onto it?

This summer, I really want to pare things down to just stuff we use NOW or are very reasonably certain to need. No more 'just in case' random bits and too many sentimental things. If I don't want to move it in a few years or if my kids would dump it if I die, then why am I keeping it now? No point in sifting past that stuff to get to what I do need!

 

[neatokimmo]

Not sure if you itemize your taxes or not but we do, I write off all my donations that I can. 2 years ago, just adding all that in helped up to not owe taxes and ended up with a small refund.
Yard sales just aren't worth my time, I now donate to our school/church and we have a huge sale every summer.

I am itemizing based off a chart I got online. The numbers are adding up really quick.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I am itemizing based off a chart I got online. The numbers are adding up really quick.

We just took a bunch of stuff from our basement to Salvation Army. An old lamp, some car accessories from my old car, some clothing, yard supplies. Just stuff that we aren't using anymore.

TurboTax has a free program called DeductIt. You can use it to keep track all of your donations throughout the year and then have it all imported right into TurboTax when you go to do your taxes. Saves lots of time later on and the donations rates are based on IRS numbers.

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS in on board helping with the decluttering! He sorted old video games yesterday.

 

[pjlla]

PROGRESS MADE!!! WOOHOOO!!

I was in that "right mood" yesterday to do some decluttering without re-thinking every move. I got DS to help and within 90 minutes I had FULLY LOADED the back of my CR-V for the transfer station (with stuff to spare for a second trip). Everything I touched I made an instant decision on..... and if I didn't have a use for it RIGHT at that moment.... it was gone! Even found a box of stuff from DS's room that he was able to part with (all except one book). Two lamps, multiple pool floats that may or may not hold air (sadly we took our pool down this year), two old windows that we got for free when we built our shed.... in 1996 , carpet remnants, torn eggcrate mattress pads, halloween decor I didn't even know I had (where has that box been hiding????), some old boxes from equipment that is either long gone or long out of warranty, and so much more... ALL GONE!! What a feeling of relief!! Plus we decluttered a SECOND load from the yard of old pieces of lumber and other yard stuff that seems to build up around the shed. If the transfer station was open today, I'd go again, but it is closed today and tomorrow. But DH says if I leave a pile and we trade cars on Tuesday, he will go on his lunch hour Tuesday (he works at home). So I plan to add the the pile already sitting in the garage.

I also got an offer from replacements.com for several difference sets/pieces of china that I want to part with and I will be selling whatever I can and IMMEDIATELY bringing the remainder to the dump or the resale shop. I am SO DONE looking at the stuff sitting here!! I already printed the paperwork for the "offer to buy" I already received.... today I plan to pack up whatever I am selling to ship this week. I need to put in a request for another "offer to buy" from them for another few pieces I found (YES, I have a problem... I really like dishes!). Any and all cash received goes STRAIGHT to the Disneyland 2016 fund!!

I also looked into selling the aluminum panels from our pool and found a place in a local city that buys scrap.... so I plan to call tomorrow or Tuesday and set up a time to sell those pool panels.... even if it is worth chump change, it is only about 15 more minutes of driving than the dump would be! Meanwhile I'll be looking around the house and yard for other metal I can bring along to make the trip more worthwhile.

WOOHOO..... I LOVE making progress!!........................P

 

[neatokimmo]

Ok bagging and itemizing stuff is addictive and very fulfilling once you start.

I am on trash bag 21. I want to take 45 when they open up Tuesday morning. That will totally clear off the back porch we were using for the "garage" sales and will make a dent in my "this should be in a garage sale" pile in my front sunroom.

The hubby threw away an entire sterlite container of old computer textbooks For Windows NT, I was very proud of him! He is a packrat IT guy, he doesn't like to let things like that go.

 

[Cheryl726]

Wow good progress pjlla! How does replacements.com work? I have a china set that has never been used and just takes up space in my dining room closet? TIA for the info!

 

[StephMK]

Little random projects -
7 candles and a tin of about 12-15 votives and tealights - ready to box up for donation
gift cards - threw away 8 that were used, found 3 that were still good - I have a habit of holding on to them in case of a return then forgetting to toss them.
8 expired credit cards/health cards - cut up and threw out in 2 different trash bags
5 bottles of almost empty, no year sunscreen tossed out- plan to write the year with sharpie from now on
recycled 2 empty soap dispensers - not sure how they ended up under the sink

 

[melmel]

I sent my sixth batch of stuff since January, to Goodwill yesterday. I can now see about 90% of my basement floor. I've organized about 80% of what I'm keeping into new storage cabinets. And I've gotten half of the walls painted. Unfortunately the idea of painting the second half tires me and I keep not getting it done. I need to just stop thinking about it and actually do something. I was hoping to finish them this weekend but that's starting to look grim, gotta keep myself motivated. Either way is still a huge improvement.

 

[neatokimmo]

I sent my sixth batch of stuff since January, to Goodwill yesterday. I can now see about 90% of my basement floor. I've organized about 80% of what I'm keeping into new storage cabinets. And I've gotten half of the walls painted. Unfortunately the idea of painting the second half tires me and I keep not getting it done. I need to just stop thinking about it and actually do something. I was hoping to finish them this weekend but that's starting to look grim, gotta keep myself motivated. Either way is still a huge improvement.

Wow, that is a lot of work good job!

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

So I had a realization this week. We have two to four of everything due to marriage and our parents dying. I was trying to sell it. 40 hours of work made me about $150. The next garage sale, I made $15.

So trying to sell stuff off isn't worth my time. This reformed I might need this someday I will store it pack rat, is hauling stuff to Salvation Army. My sanity is not worth the max of 2k I would get from selling it. I bought a box of 45 trash bags to fill, I will call that step one.

If you can, try to find an organization that works with homeless populations or women escaping domestic violence. They are so, so often in need of those little household things that you don't ever think about until you need. Kitchen utensils, pots and pans, extra plates, soap dishes, trash cans for the bathrooms.

But I try to do the same thing. I think "what can I get for this?" and typically choose to give "worthless" clothes/toys to my friend who has a daughter that's 8 months younger than mine.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Ok bagging and itemizing stuff is addictive and very fulfilling once you start.

I am on trash bag 21. I want to take 45 when they open up Tuesday morning. That will totally clear off the back porch we were using for the "garage" sales and will make a dent in my "this should be in a garage sale" pile in my front sunroom.

The hubby threw away an entire sterlite container of old computer textbooks For Windows NT, I was very proud of him! He is a packrat IT guy, he doesn't like to let things like that go.

Make sure you get the slip from Salvation Army with the donation date on it. I then just staple a printed copy of the items and cost to the slip.

 

[neatokimmo]

If you can, try to find an organization that works with homeless populations or women escaping domestic violence. They are so, so often in need of those little household things that you don't ever think about until you need. Kitchen utensils, pots and pans, extra plates, soap dishes, trash cans for the bathrooms.

But I try to do the same thing. I think "what can I get for this?" and typically choose to give "worthless" clothes/toys to my friend who has a daughter that's 8 months younger than mine.

I will look for shelters. The kitchen stuff is coming up in the next purge.

 

[neatokimmo]

Make sure you get the slip from Salvation Army with the donation date on it. I then just staple a printed copy of the items and cost to the slip.

I got a receipt and took pictures of my stuff before I bagged it. I am a little paranoid on an audit so I over did it.

They picked up a washing machine, huge tv cabinet and a movie tower today from a property we have for sale. my van held 33 bags/boxes plus all my husbands super ugly decor from his living room. So I have a head start on the next load, I have 12 bags waiting.

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

I just found this thread today and just spent 2.5 hours reading all the posts....you guys are very motivating....I bought the Marie Kondo ebook The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up....My goal is to have my house clutter free and organized by the end of the year....but I need to read Marie's book first to find the best way to do it...

Good for you!!! Knowing that my kids don't want the stuff (always ask, and usually get a solid "NO!!!" x5) , and the payback isn't worth the time and effort, for the most part, I have taken dozens of bags/boxes to various charities. I know that my stuff is now blessing someone else.

Debbie...I so agree with you about the payback for a yard sale...I have said this to my family and finally they are on board with just getting the stuff out of the house....I am hoping to be able to find a local woman's shelter to donate clothes and toiletries but will need to research how to locate one....I see that you are in Canada as well...what charities do you donate your "stuff" to????

 

[Debbie]

I just found this thread today and just spent 2.5 hours reading all the posts....you guys are very motivating....I bought the Marie Kondo ebook The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up....My goal is to have my house clutter free and organized by the end of the year....but I need to read Marie's book first to find the best way to do it...

Debbie...I so agree with you about the payback for a yard sale...I have said this to my family and finally they are on board with just getting the stuff out of the house....I am hoping to be able to find a local woman's shelter to donate clothes and toiletries but will need to research how to locate one....I see that you are in Canada as well...what charities do you donate your "stuff" to????

Elaine, I have been 'spreading the wealth' so to speak. I've done My Sisters Place (women and children's support for those living with abuse and violence), Mission Services, Goodwill and Canadian Diabetes. I have a bag of towels/comforters that I intend to drop off at the animal shelter. I had a pile of stuff one time and dropped it off at Value Village and got a 30% off card. It came in handy when I needed new jeans/capris for the summer. With all my KMing, I have lost weight, and the pants were getting so ridiculous, they wouldn't stay up. No complaints. Just makes it hard to walk.