Sorry Sanna and Readers I should have published this post last Friday. Better late than never I suppose. I will be publishing this week’s update tomorrow.

Sanna’s Update

So, I’m in for almost 3 weeks and actually, I’m meanwhile 200 items ahead of my challenge.

This week, lots of incense, recipes, more pens and pencils, a few books, notepads and more left the house. Fine weather made it possible to put a cardboard box with a “for free” sign on the sidewalk which made getting rid of these little items as easy as can be.

I also went through my “memorabilia box” (which includes photos) and though I just got rid of a couple of things there, I put all the photo CDs and DVDs that are in there in cd sleeves and got rid of the original cases, so that I gained a little space in there. (in the long run, I should probably combine all those on a little USB stick or so, but I haven’t yet done so. Baby steps. 😉 )

As before I counted every little thing seperately and for me that is a good thing. First, it makes it easy to reach my goal. 20 recipes or similar a day isn’t hard to do, so even on stressy days I can be done in a couple of minutes. However there’s another benefit and that is that I get a better idea how many things exactly I own of some things. A stack of recipes is just that: a stack. However, when I counted so many 20 pieces out of it, I get an idea that there are actually hundreds of recipes still and that it would take months to use them all! Because, let’s face it: even when you’re in use-it-up-mode, you don’t cook 20 times a day! 😉 This makes it easier for me to declutter to a more realistic number and don’t get biased because things aren’t taking up much space.

Although I’m still not running out of stuff to declutter, the effort meanwhile really begins to pay off. Our stuff fits better in its designated place and there are fewer items lying around somewhere. I feel great to have got rid of so many things that sat in drawers forever waiting for their time to get used. They’re now off to someone else who is hopefully using them a little sooner than I would have!

I hope your decluttering missions are going strong as well and that this week’s mini missions helped you all get going!

We’ll make the clutterfree home happen! 😀

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an inherited item that you never really wanted.

Eco Tip for the Day

When dining with friends at a cafe that dishes up large servings share a meal. It saves on wasted food and inexpensive to boot. Not to mention easy on your waistline.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I have two telescopic tension rods, the kind you wedge between two hard surfaces to hang curtains from. The reason I still have them, even though I haven’t used them since returning to Australia from the USA, is that they might come in handy one day. The excuse for falling into this old trap is that I don’t think they are sold here in Australia which would make them nigh on impossible if not too expensive to replace should I find a use for them.

Now how is that for a lot of rubbish. Oh, I admit to both that I do have these things for such a ridiculous reason.  I don’t even like curtains, they harbour dust and look so old fashioned. So you know what I did today? I took them down and put them in the trunk of my car to donate to a white elephant fundraising sale for a worthy charity.

So what was behind my sudden grip on reality? Living in our smaller home bring everything in it into question ~ Are they clutter or are they loved or useful to me. Yes I love their clever design and yes they are useful, but to me no. Since moving in to our new home old interests, never gone, have come back to the fore and I need space to arrange the ingredients for them. Therefore any excess is getting in the way of that. Even some of the less used tools on my craft are heading out the door to make the space more functional.

I guess what I am saying here is that one of the keys to decluttering is deciding what is more important ~ Making the space for the life you want to live or dwelling on past useful and/or loved objects. I have no room for such objects and even if I did I find my space more functional when all the excess is out of the way.

Are you clinging on to things because you are somehow attached to them even though you don’t love them or use them. If so, they are clutter and it is about time you let them go. No reasons no excuses.

Today’s Mini Mission

If you have more towels than necessary declutter a few. They take years to wear out so you won’t be leaving yourself short. Donate good ones to a thrift shop and shabby ones to an animal shelter or the like.

Eco Tip for the Day

Use the dishwasher and washing machine during off-peak hours in order to cut down the strain on power infrastructure. This will delay the necessity for expensive polluting upgrades and will save you money to boot. For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I received the following comment from Kimberley to one of last week’s posts ~ Who Are You Now.

Kinberley wrote: “Your post should be titled, “Isn’t this how clutter begins?” 
We move from one phase of our life to another. We don’t or won’t let go of what used to serve us while at the same time adding things that now do. It’s as simple as doing the math.”

This is so true. The reason much of our clutter builds up is because life moves on for us. The problem with that is that life moves on but we don’t move on the resulting items that become clutter. We understandably hold on to things for a while just in case we revert to our previous life and then after a while we neglect to let go. Sometimes we pass through several stages of life not cleaning up after the last, and in the end we have a house full of unused stuff.

The key to avoiding this is maintenance decluttering. That is, letting go of our stuff from past lives within a reasonable time frame from when we stopped needing the items. I make that sound easy because physically it is. All it takes is identifying this stuff and using whatever means necessary and appropriate for us to pass it on.

The problem for many these days is that, in this fast paced world, we don’t have or don’t take the time to look back and clean up after ourselves. In essence, we complicate our lives so much trying to keep pace with a world gone mad, with earning, consuming, temptation and keeping up with ridiculous ideals, that something has to give. That something is often our time, our families, our friends and of course the state of our homes.

And yet we always seem to find the time to go out and acquire the new potential clutter. So why is it that we can find that time, which, due to comparison shopping, generally takes more time yet we can’t find the time to move the old stuff on. I would like to give you some sort of easy fix solution to this issue but, as you can probably guess, there isn’t one. The reality is that if you can find the time to shop for stuff but don’t find the time to declutter stuff then you are going to end up with a cluttered home. Once you come to terms with this and begin to practice maintenance decluttering then your problem of clutter build up will be gone.

The tips I can give to manage this are…

• …to stay informed about methods of disposal ~ Thrift shops, Sharing sites like Freecycle etc, other charity donation opportunities, garage sales, auction/selling sites like ebay, recycling collection days… ~ and take advantage of them when necessary.
• …sell donate of giveaway your children’s items as they grow out of them.
• …pay attention of your stuff and notice when items are no longer being used. These are the items you shuffle to the back of cupboards, garages, attics and basements.
• …when you find yourself out shopping for something new ask yourself, what is it replacing and let the other similar item go.

Personally I prefer to only replace things when they wear out not just because I feel like something new. This tip will not only helps avoid clutter but also help accumulate savings. And financial security gives as much piece of mind as un uncluttered home.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any toiletry products you aren’t likely to use because you tried them but didn’t like them. Shampoos, conditioners, bady wash, moisturisers etc. Perhaps donate them to a women’s or men’s shelter.

Eco Tip

Don’t waste that lovely picking liquid that comes in jars of peppers etc. Use it to add a little extra zing to your next DIY salad dressing.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Here is a great comment from Kimberley that I didn’t want anyone to miss…

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some paper clutter ~ magazines, paperwork, old tax papers, expired warranties…

Eco Tip for the Day

Organise your weekly menu prior to grocery shopping. This will help avoid extra trips in the car to the store.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

All that “I might need it one day!” clutter is about control. Control over your future, a future that may never unveil itself. A future created in your own mind that won’t allow you to relinquish items you don’t have a use for right now, probably never will and in all honesty, although used in the past, were never really needed even then.

What tragic outcome would ensue in the future if, today, you decluttered that spare potato peeler? If you got rid of that ever growing pile of ragged bath towels you save in case of a huge spill? If you put all those magazine clippings in the recycling bin that you have been saving to reference when “needed”? If you donated all those material scraps that you might use some day to a craft group who will use them now?

Would the world come to a screaming halt sometime in the future due to these scenarios and any other that come to mind? NO is the answer to that question. “But what if, later, I can’t afford to replace such articles?” I hear you say. And I reply… “STOP and really think whether this item is really even necessary in the first place. A potato can be pealed with a knife, a good towel can be washed and reused after cleaning up a spill, any information clipped from a magazine can be easily accessed via the internet (and more easily for that matter), and material scraps really didn’t matter that much in the first place. Apply this thinking to anything that you feel is contributing to the clutter in your home and see what rational conclusions you come to.

And while you are at it think what immediate positive impact decluttering all those unused items will have on the appearance, feel, ease of organising and cleaning  and the comfort level of your home and then explain to me why you are still holding on.

Let go of a little control and live for today. At the moment the clutter is controlling your life, not the other way around. So do something about it. You might be surprised at how liberating relinquishing control can be.

Today’s Mini Mission

Have a good look in your kitchen cupboards and drawers. This is usually a hotbed of only slightly useful stuff that you could declutter.

Eco Tip for the Day

As adults it is our job to teach our children to conserve power and water. If you raise your children with good habits now conservation will come naturally to them when they become the adults themselves.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Since today’s mini mission is to analyse your clutter weakness I thought it would be good if I also made it the subject of the day. Perhaps in the comments you might like to admit your clutter weakness and see if you can get any advice about it.

My clutter weakness would be my craft supplies. It is one of the few areas where I still add items. Mostly cutting dies and embossing folders. However there is more going out than is coming in so I am happy with that. And these items are being used over and over again. I did also bring home fabric and lace from my mother and mother-in-law but I am already making inroads into using that up.

My previous clutter weakness was garage sales. I used to go to them every weekend in the Summer when I lived in Seattle. I love a great bargain. Now I could count on one hand the number of garage sales I have been to in the seven years I have been back in Australia. Lead me not into temptation I guess. I do like the thrift shop though but only for items I am trying to avoid buying new that I have an immediate use for. And the beauty of getting items cheap is I have no qualms about donating them back if they don’t get used within a short length of time.

On a related topic, Wendy F and I went picking through the bulk waste pick up piles on the side of the road yesterday. We had a wonderful time. I was searching for some organising items for the art space where I sell my cards, which I found. I also brought home a free standing hand towel rail for one of our bathrooms. My husband and I had had a discussion about this just the other day. For some weird reason they never fitted hand towel holders in our apartment when it was built. If this rail doesn’t work out I will either be use to hang my potted plants on or be donated to the thrift shop. I also brought home a handful of suction cups from an old desk. We are in need of these as replacements for ones the removal company lost from my dinning table during our recent move. I tried them out but they aren’t quite right so they will go in the bin. It was the try though.

During this outing Wendy and I also collected up a car load of items to be donated to the thrift shop. I suppose you could say that one of my weakness is that I just can’t bare to see perfectly good stuff go to waste. It angers me to see this stuff dumped on the side of the road when it could have been easily boxed up and taken to a thrift shop. Why are people so lazy and frivolous?

Recognising a weakness is the first step to overcoming it. So what is your clutter weakness and do you have it under control?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item of your choice and spend 10 minutes thinking about what your particular clutter weakness is. Knowing this will help you avoid it in the future.

Eco Tip for the Day

If you see something going to waste, rescue it and donate it to someone in need or to a charity of your choice.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

This is what I decluttered on the day of the original post. Can’t say we’ve missed it.

I was wondering what I should write about today when it occurred to me that I have just past the four year anniversary of blogging about decluttering here at 365 Less Things. That got me thinking about how things have changed and in some cases how things haven’t. My living circumstances have certainly changed, having reached the goal I originally started out trying to achieve. I am a little amazed that the goal never really changed over that time.

However, my principles of decluttering haven’t changed at all. So today I thought, just for fun I would dig up a blog post from about this time four years ago. I chose one on retail therapy, something I have not reverted to since writing this post. I only go to the shops if there is something I need to buy. In fact sometimes I need to buy things, like the new bra I really ought to get, but keep putting it of for several weeks because I just can’t be bothered.

So without further adieu here it is.

I have discovered that decluttering is the cure for resorting to retail therapy.

How often do we use retail therapy to make up for times when we feel down, disappointed, bored and other conditions of the mind. What does this kind of therapy do to improve the situation? Usually it just adds more problems like credit card debt, guilt, regret and potential clutter.

It has amazed me how quickly I formed a dislike to shopping once I committed myself to my 365 day resolution to de-clutter my home.

Now when I get spare time I don’t get bored, I use that time to find the next thing I am going to get rid of, rearrange an area that has been somewhat decluttered, or try to come up with a subject for my next blog post. This leads to the satisfaction that I am using my time constructively and am less likely to feel down. I generally feel better about myself and my bank account is looking healthier too. Not to mention the satisfaction that I am helping others by donating items to charity.

Has decluttering changed your attitude to recreational shopping. If so, tell us about it.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something from the basement or attic  if you have one.

Eco Tip for the Day

If doing the right thing by the environment isn’t inspiration enough to be eco friendly, consider how much money it could save you.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

It seems that these days I do a lot of talking about the benefits of decluttering but very little on ways to go about it. This is probably because I know I have a lot of readers who are well seasoned declutterers by now, and they know this stuff. But the fact also is that new readers find my blog all the time and may not be so informed about such things. So today I am going to mentions my favourite and most successful ways that I have managed to give away my stuff.

I am not going to write about selling stuff today only about giving it away, because quite frankly that is usually the quickest way to go about it. So here goes…

• Thrift Shops ~ This is by far the method I have used most to reduce my clutter while at the same time helping others. Even before I started my “One thing a day” mission I had already been frequenting the thrift shop that I currently volunteer at. I did a little investigating to find a store near my home that would take a wide variety of stuff and it is the store that I gave and still give most of what I declutter. A simple lookup in the Yellow Pages online was how I found the store and it has been a God send to me. Prior to my volunteering there, I would put my daily decluttered item  in my transition point in the garage and when I had a car load to donate I would load it into my little hatchback and take it to the store. It was a joy to see it go and also to know I was helping both the charity, their shoppers who found these bargains, and also, through the charity, the trouble souls who without their suicide hotline might not be alive today. These days I just drop off the things I am decluttering on the day I go to do my shift. I have also made some lovely friends as a result. Thrift shops will often also pick up larger items such as furniture, mattresses etc.
• Freecycle.org ~ This is another great method for giving away your stuff. It is an online sharing site where people, with stuff to give away, list their items with a short description and location. People looking for these items can then send you and email to say they would like to be the recipient and you can then decide who to give the item/s to. You them give them your address to pick the item up from. You don’t even have to be there, just put the item on the stoop for them to collect when it is convenient.  It was rare that I didn’t get at least six people wishing to take the stuff I was giving away. One of the beauties of this site is that you can give away items that are broken. Simply describe the item and its condition and there are usually people out there who have the skill to repair and reuse these things. I gave away several broken items as well as perfectly good ones that for one reason or another I didn’t think suitable for the thrift shop. There are Freecycle groups all over the world. Perhaps there is one near you.
• Curb Side  or the Feebie Box~  This method has also been very successful for me. In fact I used it just this week to give away some mini fluorescent light globes. (I have been switching to LEDs because they are better for the environment.) In this case it was a freebie box in the foyer but curb side is the same principle. You take the item you wish to give away and put it at the curb in front of your home. Or, as in my situation, in the foyer or other communal area of an apartment block, with a FREE sign on it. You could also take these items to your work place or community group. I have found that these items are claimed in very short time. I love to check on them just to see how fast they disappear. I put my light globes in the foyer at about 8am, when I knew there would be plenty of foot traffic down there, and they were gone when I went back down at around 10am. I am guessing they had been gone for a while at that point.
• Friends or Family ~ There was a mass exodus of stuff from my home when my kids moved out. Even stuff I wasn’t really planning on giving away. They would tell me if there was something they wanted and, if it didn’t matter much to me or I wasn’t using it all the much, I would allow them to take it.  Also, most of my friends knew I was decluttering and if they had a need for something they would often ask ~ “You aren’t getting rid of INSERT ITEM HERE by any chance are you? And quite often I had just such and item I was happy to part with. Also I would ask friends and family if they wanted things if I thought they might be interested. *Vicki K has reminded me to tell you about utilising your cell phone camera to send photos, to family and friends, of items you are giving away. This is a quick and easy way to get a response to your enquiries. If people aren’t interested then you know you can swiftly dispatch the items to the thrift shop.
• Targeting Specific Recipients ~ There are some items that you just know would be greatly appreciated by certain groups, for example ~ Schools can’t get enough free stationary or craft supplies. Animal shelters appreciate blankets, pillows and towels. Painters make great use of your old sheets. Playgroups will happily take your kids old toys. We even have a Bicycle Ecology Centre here in my city that takes old bikes and bike parts. They recondition bikes and either give them to those in need or sell them to fund the project. I think you get the idea. There a many places who have a specific need for you stuff and with a little imagination I am sure you can come up with some in your local area.

I think that covers my favourite ways to give away stuff. If you have a method other than these that have worked for you please tell us about it.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter or put away an item from your car, even it it is just a trash that is lying around in there.

Eco Tip for the Day

Food takes a lot of resources to produce so never let it go to waste. Have a few recipes handy that are great for using up left over bits and pieces, like curry, quiche or bubble & squeak.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I want you all to read this post by David @ Raptitude.com before going on.

Take from it what you will but this is how I applied the concept to decluttering.

Before doing any decluttering decide on your options for disposing of your clutter.

• Do some investigating and make a decision on where you can donate your clutter so you have this option in place prior to choosing which items are to go.
• Decide if eBay is an option for where you can do your selling.
• Check if Freecycle is available in your area and decide if that is another good option for you.
• Decide if putting your stuff aside for a yard sale would work for you and arrange the space required to store it before doing any decluttering of sellable items.
• Test the curb side decluttering method and decide whether that is also an option for you.
• Decide if a garbage skip is required to clear junk clutter and make the arrangements for one before you begin doing the dirty work.
• Decide on a staging area for storing your decluttered items prior to doing the selling, donating or giving them away. This way you can make your decisions then remove the items from their wasted space in your home until the next step is taken. You will feel like you are making progress even before they are totally gone.

Making the decisions on how and where you can offload your clutter will make the doing so much easier. With these arrangements made  you are left with plenty of mind space to make your choices of what you are prepared to let go. And if making those decisions still proves a little hard you can simplify your choices further by just following my mini missions.

Trying to decide, choose and do at the same time can be very frustrating and ultimately defeating. I had success with my decluttering process because I already had a donation site chosen, had sold the odd thing or two on eBay, was experienced at curb side decluttering and had a large garage for my staging area. And although I had plenty of successful garage sale experience I knew that, at one thing a day, I did not want to store things for months until I had enough for such a sale. So the decisions were made which just left me with the task of choosing what to part with. Disposing of them was a cinch making the process go smoothly. This gave me the confidence to stick to my task and achieve my goal.

So if you are in a pickle trying to decide, choose and dispose of things all at once. STOP. Then…

• Decide ~ (where and how to get rid of your clutter so you have a simple system in place to follow, then…
• Divide ~ choose, at your own pace, what no longer fits in your life and then…
• Conquer the clutter for good, by sending it on its way.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item of clothing that you no longer wear.

Eco Tip for the Day

Save a tree ~Stop junk mail. It mostly contains advertisements for stuff you don’t need anyway.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Yesterday I received the following comment from Stephanie ~

“I just finished a use-it-up project on some leftover baby yarns that my late mum used part of, to do test work on a “masterpiece” crochet blanket for my son when he was born (he is 32!) 

My blanket, which used 23 asst small balls/ball ends, is a non-masterpiece giant granny square LOL. It will be given away tomorrow, and I have started on a second use-it-up blanket. Pretty sure there will end up being 4 use-it-up blankets by the time that box is empty. 

This is a good mindless TV project for me, and far better for me than snacking.”

What a fine example of tripling the pleasure of decluttering. First Stephanie has an outlet for her much enjoyed craft of crocheting, second she gets to use up a stash of wool that is otherwise cluttering up her home and third the finished product is donated to someone in need. How wonderful is that.

Like Stephanie I also love to do crafts. However one needs to have an outlet to move the craft on once it is completed, because there is only so much use and space for it in ones home. I recently saw a sign in a local art space window asking for volunteers to do shifts manning the space in return for having the opportunity to display ones art or craft for sale in the space. I jumped at the chance and now each Thursday I will be doing a four hour shift in return for displaying and hopefully selling my handmade cards. I get to enjoy my craft, possibly make a little money on the side, help out other artist by manning the space and decluttering some of my craft supplies that have featured so many time here at the blog.

What collateral pleasure to you receive from your decluttering efforts.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some items left behind from a previous relationship. Items you can remember the good time without or that only serve to remind you of the bad times.

Eco Tip for the Day

Be familiar with all of the recycling possibilities in your area. Local government websites usually have lots of information on this. Also word of mouth your computer are other good ways of gaining this information.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow