Who is destashing in 2010?

[ajo66]

hmmm, maybe that's where the missing socks are....I have a small basket of single socks that I refuse to throw away in the hopes that I will one day find their match! LOL It's like 10 socks and I don't understand where the other one could possibly be! I've moved the washer and dryer multiple times and none are ever under there.

Check the socks that are "matched" in your drawers! I think one of the kids or DH sorted socks one day - they don't really look at them apparently...not all brown socks are matches! I was able to rematch 4 single socks the other day!

 

[floridascgirl]

hmmm, maybe that's where the missing socks are....I have a small basket of single socks that I refuse to throw away in the hopes that I will one day find their match! LOL It's like 10 socks and I don't understand where the other one could possibly be! I've moved the washer and dryer multiple times and none are ever under there.

That's so funny that you are hanging on to the odd ones, too. I have 17 odd socks that I refuse to toss. I keep hanging on to the hope that they will one day turn up. I tell my DH if I get enough, I'm gonna weave them into one of those rag rugs.

I do wonder if they disappear in the washer or the dryer? My mom says that she has never lost a match to a sock which I find really hard to believe. One of life's little mysteries.

 

[mafibisha]

I recycle everything that I can - magazines to doctor's offices, old & unwanted books to a local bookstore (they always have free boxes out front & have a huge used/resale section. You get credit to use to purchase other used books. I have more credit than I will ever be able to use! ), blankets to the homeless shelter, etc.

I put things in boxes as I destash, and put the boxes in the garage for a yard sale. I am lucky that I have a 5 car garage (it used to be the old carriage house to my old circa 1855 house) that I can store stuff until I have my yard sale. I put anything and everything into that sale and all of the money is used as spending money for out Disney trips. I usually make around $1,000.00per sale. I spend around $100.00 on the ad alone and people start to show up for it hours before hand or the night before. Advertising big helps! I swear, anything anyone doesn't want at school (I'm a teacher) ends up in that yard sale! I also price things to move - clothes are usually $1.00 each piece, toys are around $5.00 each (and come with the paperwork they came with! ), and anything we replace in the house (i.e. - ceiling fans). People are always looking for stuff for cabins up north (we live in Michigan). (Some advice here - try to clean anything you put into your sale and match it up. For example - I pin outfits together so pieces don't get separated from each other. Also, mark anything that is missing or how many pieces are included.)

I do donate things that don't sell after a couple of sales. Goodwill and Purple Heart (who picks up unwanted items) are two I use alot. I do store stuff from year to year if I think it will sell - again lucky for the large garage! I also take alot to school - so ask you kid's teachers. We are always looking for puzzles, books, games, etc. for those indoors recess days. We can also use game pieces from old games and puzzles where pieces are missing for crafts. Heck - my art teacher at school loves those old tupperware containers to store crayons, colored pencils, etc. in. If I do take something into school, I leave it in the teacher's lounge with a sign that it is up for grabs. If no one takes it after a day or two, I just toss it there.

I very seldom throw anything away. It either gets sold, donated, or given away. I am well known to toss in lots of extras at my yard sale. I once had a woman show up who had just gotten custody of her grandchildren and she needed clothes for them badly. She made out like a bandit at my place I tell ya! I would much rather have someone use all of those clothes than have them sitting in boxes in the garage.

I love everyone's posts, especially this one.

I too try to recycle everything, magazines and books to shelters, lots of clothes to shelters or the VETS, some of the kids' to consignment, other things to family or friends who may need them or like them.

But for those people who try to sell a few things first, how do you decide? I mean really, because there's usually a buyer for everything eventually and middle DS wants to *really help* with a big garage sale this spring.

But I really don't want to wait. I really want it all gone NOW, and yet the thought of it bringing in a few bucks after the expensive Christmas season is appealing.

So how do y'all decide if you'll sell or give away?

 

[Whistle]

For me to decide if I want to sell it or not . . . you are right there is a fine line between being "frugal" and maximizing your profits and then just wanting to get rid of it.

If I can ebay an item quickly, and I think it will sell (do a search to see if similar items are selling), I will list it. If not, it gets donated. I will start a yard sale pile within a month of having a yard sale. If not, it goes to Goodwill. I was keeping yard sale piles longer but then found it just crowds my already full (overflowing) basement. Now for me, it is more important in having it gone than making a little at a yard sale. When I donate items, I always get the receipt and claim it on my taxes.

I hope this helps.

 

[labdogs42]

OK, I only read through page 6, but I'll catch up with the rest later! I decluttered 5 lawn and leaf size bags of toys and clothes and 7 kitchen sized bags of garbage last week (mostly papers and broken toys). I am on a roll and I need to keep this momentum going! This thread is a great inspiration. Thanks!

I love FlyLady, too. I keep wanting to do her system, but I never quite get there. Maybe 2010 will be my year!

 

[talulabelle]

That's so funny that you are hanging on to the odd ones, too. I have 17 odd socks that I refuse to toss. I keep hanging on to the hope that they will one day turn up. I tell my DH if I get enough, I'm gonna weave them into one of those rag rugs.

I do wonder if they disappear in the washer or the dryer? My mom says that she has never lost a match to a sock which I find really hard to believe. One of life's little mysteries.

SOCKS! Tis is my next mission after my boys closet - the odd socks!!! I have always had a small basket in the laundry room to hold odds until their their mate came through the laundry, eventually I would notice that there were about 10 -15 socks that just were never matching up and would look under beds and in drawers and the ones that still didn't match, I would toss. Well then we got a puppy. A puppy that eats socks for snacks. We have had this dog for 2 years and I now have a full laundry basket full of odd socks!!! Sock sorting here is horrendous, because I have to keep laying out this full laundry basket full of socks to see if there is a mate in there. I haven't tossed them because I haven't had the time to get under all the beds and in all the closets yet to look for mates.

So this is my next mission - do a thorough sock search, do all the laundry and match up whatever I can, and then toss EVERYTHING in the odd sock basket. After that, laundry will be SO much easier.

 

[mrsklamc]

My next project- may be tomorrow night if tonight doesn't work out- is the hall closet!

the great thing about doing my File/Action sorting into my shopping bags last night is that my 'Action' stack is now very portable and I can bring it with me and work on it during my lunch hour!

 

[happybratpack]

I'm at work today but my plan is to unclutter my office. I have so much junk around here, shoved in drawers, piled on my desk, etc.

 

[Heather1101]

It is amazing the stuff we accumulate even though we move every 18mo-3 years. I just finished decluttering/organizing/getting rid of stuff from the youngest DS's room, the pantry, laundry room, and bathrooms. I cleaned out and got rid of some holiday decor when I put everything up in November. I also did the upstairs game/overflow closet and my side of the bedroom closet/my dresser drawers.

The garage is the absolute worst b/c DH holds on to anything military/tool related, even if we already have several of the same thing. He'll be doing that when it warms up before we move in June/July.

I still need to go through the teenager's room and work on the hallway linen closet. I also desperately need to file and weed out some of the stuff from our current files. DH has a few electronic items (DVD players, printer) that have been taking up space that we do not use because we have better, newer ones. I tell him that both DVD players freeze, thus the reason we bought the new one, but he still needs to "test" them before he'll get rid of them...I'm staying on him til he does it b/c I'm sick of looking at them.

 

[StephMK]

Way to go everyone!! I love reading all the motivating posts.

I went through the supply drawer and organized it last night. We do not need anymore pencils or hairbands for a very long time. The kids try to tell me we are out of those but I have found a ton of both through this process! When I woke up this morning, I sorted the tray in my room, took things to the kids' rooms & brought a few odds & ends downstairs.

Today I want to finish up the basement before the kids get into the piles & start moving stuff. Maybe I will try to get the huge pile of shredding done tonight so I can weed through our files later this week.

 

[AndreaDM]

I have a small basket of single socks that I refuse to throw away in the hopes that I will one day find their match! LOL It's like 10 socks and I don't understand where the other one could possibly be! I've moved the washer and dryer multiple times and none are ever under there.

Same here!! I have been really good this past year at getting rid of clutter and things we don't use, but I refuse to part with the little mini laundry basket full of unmatched socks! That is my goal this week, to catch up on laundry, match what I can and toss the rest. My husband will be ecstatic not to have that in our bedroom anymore!

 

[LMCT88]

Hi all finished the diningroom up (just need to vacuum it. Took longer then I wanted. I got distracted (ok got alittle lazy lol). Today I am going to just try and pick up some stuff and put it back where it belongs. Oh I did manage to take all my trash and get rid of it, makes destashing hard because we have the 1 barrel trash thing here. I also need to drop off a bunch of coats at my church. Catch you all soon!!!

 

[Deffenm]

I am in. My kids have so many clothes that they don't wear. I am going to start tonight going through their clothes. I will be having a garage sale in May before our June trip so after I go through the clothes I will throw out those that won't sell and put those that will in a box lableled and organized. I have so many garbage bags full of stuff in our basement that I put down there for the garage sale but honestly I don't know what is in them and if it is even worth it to put them in the sale. So my goal is to get that organized as well and whatever does not sell in garage sale will be donated. My goal is to never have a garage sale again.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Seriously de-stashing and I started last week. It's very possible we may be moving within the next 6 months so I'd rather purge this stuff now than later.

 

[HaleyB]

OK, I only read through page 6, but I'll catch up with the rest later! I decluttered 5 lawn and leaf size bags of toys and clothes and 7 kitchen sized bags of garbage last week (mostly papers and broken toys). I am on a roll and I need to keep this momentum going! This thread is a great inspiration. Thanks!

I love FlyLady, too. I keep wanting to do her system, but I never quite get there. Maybe 2010 will be my year!

re: Flylady

I love her site and I do some parts of her system, but other things do not work for me. I find the control journal just side tracks me. I tried and tried to use her system, it didn't work for me and I almost gave up. Then I realized I could use what did work and ignore the rest. I shine my sink, I fling, I pay attention to hot spots. I do not do her daily missions, they do not work for me. I do use a timer when feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated, but otherwise no.

 

[labdogs42]

So my husband is making me crazy! Too many things he'll say we need to keep because they will be *good for the grandchildren!* Mind you, that will be many many years from now! None of our kids are anywhere close to that!!

I tell him they'll want new stuff although I do think it'd be fun to save a few things.

I know some DISers are grandparents, but also if you're not but will be, whats your take? What do you save for that day with the grandkids will come over and want to play with mom's (or dad's) old toys or books?

As a parent of one of those grandchildren, I say keep very little of your kids' things for the future grandchildren. Choose the BEST things and keep them boxed up and clean. Much of the stuff my MIL saved is kind of grimy. Yuck. One thing I wish I could find for my DS, that I know is around somewhere, is my old Hess truck. I will keep his Hess trucks for his kids some day. Right now, I can't think of anything else I'll save. Well, maybe Legos. I'll keep them, too.

re: Flylady

I love her site and I do some parts of her system, but other things do not work for me. I find the control journal just side tracks me. I tried and tried to use her system, it didn't work for me and I almost gave up. Then I realized I could use what did work and ignore the rest. I shine my sink, I fling, I pay attention to hot spots. I do not do her daily missions, they do not work for me. I do use a timer when feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated, but otherwise no.

Yeah, I can't get on board with the get dressed to the shoes thing either. I need to adapt the system, too. Good ideas!

 

[BCV2003]

I'm in too. Last week I spent two days cleaning my home office out and then I called the the vets to come up pick up a few years of unsold garage sale stuff up from my garage. I might even be able to park my car in there again soon!

On the downside, I accidentally put my JBL ipod speaker in one of the boxes for the vets to take. At least it went to a good cause and didn't end up in the trash.

I'm going to start going through my closets next.

 

[mrsklamc]

Couple quick things from a book I'm reading if you have trouble staying on track-

1. Set up an alarm clock with a 'snooze' alarm. When it goes off it will remind you to get back on track.

2. Put in a physical 'pause' barrier- like a chair in a doorway. She said not to totally block the doorway but make it something that will make you stop and say 'hmm....what's this doing here?'

 

[talulabelle]

As a parent of one of those grandchildren, I say keep very little of your kids' things for the future grandchildren. Choose the BEST things and keep them boxed up and clean. Much of the stuff my MIL saved is kind of grimy. Yuck. One thing I wish I could find for my DS, that I know is around somewhere, is my old Hess truck. I will keep his Hess trucks for his kids some day. Right now, I can't think of anything else I'll save. Well, maybe Legos. I'll keep them, too.



Yeah, I can't get on board with the get dressed to the shoes thing either. I need to adapt the system, too. Good ideas!

OMGosh! The getting dressed to the shoes thing is what has changed my life! If I can't even get motivation to get dressed and put on shoes, what makes me think I'll be motivated to start the laundry. I move SO much faster with sneakers on. I used to think I was fine going around the house in socks (don't like to wear shoes in the house, and always was trained to take them off coming in the door so not to track in dirt) but lately I was suffering from plantar facitis and was moving so slow and was hurting too bad to do anything. Once I decided to stick with her plan and follow directions to the letter, whether they made sense to me or not, it really changed my life. I still donlt like wearing my outside shoes inside, so I bought a new pair of running shoes that I only wear inside. I MOVE in them. My facitis has completely gone away since I am always wearing suppportive shoes, and I just am more motivated and have spring in my step. Days that I think I'll come down and sip my coffee before I get showered or dressed, I end up not getting anyhting done until about 11:30am. I just sit around sipping coffee, looking at the internet, not real motivated to get going. If I get out of bed and right into the shower, I'm a different person.

 

[mafibisha]

re: Flylady

I love her site and I do some parts of her system, but other things do not work for me. I find the control journal just side tracks me. I tried and tried to use her system, it didn't work for me and I almost gave up. Then I realized I could use what did work and ignore the rest. I shine my sink, I fling, I pay attention to hot spots. I do not do her daily missions, they do not work for me. I do use a timer when feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated, but otherwise no.

ITA. I pick and choose from her site, like much of life!

OMGosh! The getting dressed to the shoes thing is what has changed my life! If I can't even get motivation to get dressed and put on shoes, what makes me think I'll be motivated to start the laundry. I move SO much faster with sneakers on. I used to think I was fine going around the house in socks (don't like to wear shoes in the house, and always was trained to take them off coming in the door so not to track in dirt) but lately I was suffering from plantar facitis and was moving so slow and was hurting too bad to do anything. Once I decided to stick with her plan and follow directions to the letter, whether they made sense to me or not, it really changed my life. I still donlt like wearing my outside shoes inside, so I bought a new pair of running shoes that I only wear inside. I MOVE in them. My facitis has completely gone away since I am always wearing suppportive shoes, and I just am more motivated and have spring in my step. Days that I think I'll come down and sip my coffee before I get showered or dressed, I end up not getting anyhting done until about 11:30am. I just sit around sipping coffee, looking at the internet, not real motivated to get going. If I get out of bed and right into the shower, I'm a different person.

See there's just no way I can even function without my coffee! But once I have my coffee, THEN I can get going. (well, if I'm motivated LOL)