I received a lot of comments on Tuesday regarding the Use It UP challenge it seems there are lot of readers out there who can relate to this topic.

We have already discovered alternative uses for two products..

• Mouthwash can be used for several different things according to The Frugal Duchess.
• Shampoo can be put in your liquid soap container and used as a hand cleaner according to Patricia in her comment. I suppose you could also use it as a body wash like my son does when he washes his hair.

I also have a post from back on day 77 with my take on multipurpose uses for cleaning products.

So now, not only would I like your feedback on what you used up but also any creative, out of the box methods utilised to achieve your objectives. I would say Willow, who has some nasty mouthwash, may end up with some clean computer screens and a sparkling white toilet if she uses the advice from The Frugal Duchess.

ITEM 161 OF 365 LESS THINGS

Today’s item is a pile of  books of my husbands. He is still doing a champion job of decluttering his stuff.

As you know we have been selling a bit of stuff on ebay since the start of this 365lessthings challenge. I have mentioned before how I hate wasting our ebay earnings on costly packaging so I do my best to recycle otherwise unwanted resources to make my own thrifty packaging.

After telling a friend of mine how well I had been doing recently selling snow gear on ebay she asked if I would sell some snow gear for her. During this exercise I took some photos to show you the process of creating my thrifty packaging.

I used a box from a piece of furniture from the store I work at. I cut out T-shaped blanks and then folded them into the box shapes I needed.  I usually take an educated guess as to the size to cut. I bend the cardboard over the edge of my desk to get nice straight folds. I use glue to set the side seam and clamp together with bulldog clips to dry then use packing tape to hold it all together. I usually wrap these boxes in inside-out gift wrap as I have a supply I don’t use much due to the fact that I prefer to give non-clutter  gifts to friend and relatives these days.

These boxes were used to pack ski goggles. My items always arrive in good order and condition and I often get feedback comments on how well my items are packaged. Tonight my husband and I used an old moving box to wrap 4 packages of old records that he has just sold on ebay and will be shipped off over the next few days.

ITEM 160 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This scanner bed went to be recycled

I want to lay down a challenge this week to all you readers out there.

THE CHALLENGE

Find at least 5 consumable items in your home that have been lingering on a shelf somewhere. My definition of consumable is something that can be depleted or worn out by use.  Concentrate on choosing these items over similar items you prefer to use until they are all used up and no longer cluttering up your home.

Possible reasons for lingering

• didn’t live up to expectation
• for some reason you just stopped using it
• just have so many of a similar item to choose from
• bought a similar item you like better
• Something from a pass-time you don’t do so much any more

Items examples that might come under the term consumable…

• Bottle of perfume
• Craft supply item
• Cleaning product
• Toiletries product (Shampoo, body wash, moisturiser etc)
• Food item
• Product samples

I know I have a list to choose from and I am sure most of you have your own little secret stash. I will give this challenge two weeks and I will share with you on Sunday the 20th of June how the challenge worked out for me and I would love some feedback on how you all went.

I am looking forward to the challenge I hope you will join me.

ITEM 159 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This dome clock was a wedding gift, its pendulum was damaged during a move some years back but we kept it all this time because it was a gift. It is long past time to let it go.

I received an email recently from Deb telling me about how she is doing a similar thing to me but documenting it from very different angle.

Here is what Deb wrote…

Quite the opposite to my photo archive but really handy for insurance purposes if Deb ever had to make a claim. Also a great way to make the choice of what stays and what goes. I like it.

If anyone else has an original way they decide what stays and what goes please drop me a line I would love to hear about it.

ITEM 158 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This guitar did not appreciate the 240 volt jolt it received to its 110 volt system so was only good for it parts and thanks to Freecycle I found someone happy to take it for this purpose.

While blog hopping I ran across a list which I have put a link to below which gives a list of 100 things that are free to enjoy and make life happier. It got me thinking that there were a lot of items on that list that were great alternative to shopping. Things that cost nothing or next to nothing but are a lot more social, healthy, educational, uplifting. rewarding… need I go on.

Here are some of the things I could and do take advantage of on a regular basis

• Go for a walk
• Go to the beach
• Spending time with friends
• Sitting back and enjoying the view. (Anywhere even people watching can be fun)
• Having a cup of tea on my patio and listening to the birds singing
• Doing a favour for a friend
• Go to the library and borrow a book sit and read there for a while
• Write a blog about something you are passionate about (trust me that can take up plenty of time)
• Read other peoples blogs they can be very informative and uplifting
• Enjoy a hobby (join of group to enjoy this with)
• Visit some art galleries
• Go to a museum (look closely at things the time will fly)
• Do some decluttering (I had to throw that one in)

The list could just go on and on and there is no time for shopping with all this stuff to do and the pleasurable memories linger longer than any joy of acquiring another item that I will soon tire of and waste money on.

Here is the link that I promised at the start of my post.

100+ free things to make life happier

ITEM 157 OF 365 LESS THINGS

The box of baseball cards I am so happy to have found a home for on Freecycle

I would just like to say at this point that although Pack Wars can be a fun activity collector cards are really just a form of gambling. Any activity where you outlay money for an item with a value unknown in the hope that it will be worth more than what you paid for it is gambling.

This week I used Freecycle for the first time and was delighted with the results. First of all I was amazed that the place I live even had Freecycle and secondly I was pleased that it gives me an outlet for items that would otherwise be difficult to find homes for. Let me explain…

I listed three  items, two if which were a box of baseball cards and a guitar amplifier that doesn’t work. As you can see neither of these items is suitable to send to a charity because they only want stuff in working condition and baseball cards would be a bit obscure to say the least for an Australian thrift shop to off load (baseball isn’t that popular here). I didn’t think these two items would float on ebay either so I put them on Freecycle along with a CD/DVD rack that didn’t sell on ebay.

I was expecting that the CD/DVD rack would be the most popular item but lo and behold the first thing to be claimed was the baseball cards and there was more than one person dare I say excited at the prospect. The amplifier which I listed as “for parts only does not work” was the next item to go and once again more than one person was willing. Then finally the lady who is picking up the baseball cards emailed and asked if she could also have the DVD rack if it was still available.

I am so pleased that I have now an outlet to find new purpose for items that are too good to throw away but not suitable for other methods of disposal. Just because something doesn’t work doesn’t mean it’s parts can’t be salvaged and just because something is a little obscure doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there who would love to have it. I love Freecycle and will utilise it again in the future I am sure.

ITEM 156 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This is the CD/DVD rack that went to a new home today thanks to Freecycle

With today’s item which sold on eBay for $36.00 we have hit a milestone. We have broken the $1000 mark for selling unwanted items. I am pleased we have managed to redeem some of the money that in some cases was wasted in the first place. In other cases though we had got more than our money’s worth out of the items and the cash was just a bonus while other items we made a killing on.

A quick story regarding an eBay auction not relating to this decluttering quest but something my husband nearly threw away last year but put on eBay as a last minute decision. It was a kick start for a Ducati Motorbike which was a spare part given to him when he purchased an old bike for $1000 some years back. It sold for over $1200 on eBay and he was a very happy man.

Here is an article I ran across which I felt was relevant to today’s post

Empty your closets, fill your pockets

ITEM 154 OF 365 LESS THINGS

Some old fishing gear that we never use as mentioned above it sold for $36.00 on ebay tipping us over the $1000 mark

Following yesterday’s Blog in regards to weeding out the clothing in your closets that really don’t suit your needs, Willow had this little gem she remembers reading somewhere…

Somewhere, I’m not sure where, I pulled the idea of putting all my hanging clothes in the closet with their hangers backward. At the end of the season, I will KNOW which clothes I didn’t wear. They will be the ones still hanging on backwards hangers.

This is a very good example of  Natural Progression Decluttering, not much effort involved but easy to identify at the end of the season which clothing is languishing in your wardrobe and not being used.

As Willow stated this hint has been out there for sometime but they can get so lost in the big wide web  and we need reminding of them occasionally. I for one had never come across this idea before. Thanks Willow.

ITEM 154 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This set of sheets were bought when we were using hired furniture when we lived in the USA but they don’t fit the mattress we own so they have to go.

Well the seasons are a changin’ now and the days are getting cooler here in the land down under. The winter woolies (clothing) have started to make an appearance and some of them are just not living up to expectation. I pulled a sweater out of the drawer today and within ten minutes I had had enough of the scratchiness of it so I took it off and put it in the donation box.

Winter can be uncomfortable enough especially when it is wet as well as cool like it has been here for the last two weeks so the last thing I need is to be made more irritated by clothes that don’t feel nice or are just not user friendly. As the cooler weather continues and I start to make my way through my winter wardrobe I will be assessing as I go and anything that doesn’t pass the comfort test will not make it’s way back  into my closet.

…Is it obvious I am suffering from a little cabin fever at the moment? I am missing my early morning walks for their fresh air and sunshine that gets my day going. If the weather doesn’t improve soon I am just going to have to buy a raincoat and rubber boots and start walking rain, hail or shine. Anyway now that I have got that out of my system….

Lets call the selection process above Natural Progression Decluttering. Instead of wasting a couple of hours going through my closet trying on my winter clothes and eliminating the ones that don’t make the cut I will just judge them as I get to them. I wish all my delcuttering was this easy at least that is something to be cheerful about. I will have to see if there is anything else I can adopt this strategy with.

ITEM 153 OF 365 LESS THINGS

Here is the sweater mentioned above it was not a thing of beauty so it will be no great loss

Reclutter the garden with consumables

A friend of mine lets call her Liz was so excited about her recent efforts to “reclutter” her garden that she insisted that I blog about it. She didn’t actually remove anything but replaced  some of her “pretty plants” with things more of the edible variety.

Her garden consists entirely of pots which tend to require more watering than garden beds. She had a line of pots planted with tall ornamental grass but they were real water guzzlers so she replaced the grass with herbs and salad greens.

She said although she enjoyed watching the grass when it swayed in the coastal breezes she is now so proud of herself when she cooks up a dish with the herbs and greens from her own garden that she has no regrets. It is so satisfying to eat something you have grown yourself and even more exciting when you realise how much money you can save for such little effort.

I feel sure that when I send her the link to this page she will be so pleased that I wrote about her she will invite me over for a delicious lunch prepare from some of her produce. (Take a hint Liz)

Sometimes decluttering can be about replacing one thing with a more useful and satisfying item rather then getting rid of something altogether and this story is a perfect example of that.

ITEM 152 OF 365 LESS THINGS

An old pair of motorbike boots that had seen better days. One for the trash I am afraid.