Desire to minimise/declutter

[Marmite.Crumpets]

I've gone round the house and de-cluttered every room. I have two charity shop bags, three bags for the tip and a vinted bag

 

[JoeBloggs]

Parking myself here as I’ve become an emotional hoarder. I tend to keep everything because I “feel bad” getting rid. Even cheap clothes, I end up feeling like I shouldn’t get rid of them because I spent money on them. Even though they’re sat gathering dust. Or old toys of my children’s even though they’ve outgrown them, I feel bad because someone was thoughtful and bought them that.

In 2025 I’m being ruthless. I’ve only got 2 feet and can only wear a certain amount of shoes etc. there’s no need for 5 similar black jumpers, 1 or 2 is enough.

I’m overwhelmed by what I have and end up using/wearing none of it.

One thing I always think of, as soon as the money has been spent its gone. Holding on the item just because, wont make that money come back.

By selling, donating and giving away they are still useful to someone and if anything it gives them a new life instead on sitting not being used and taking up space in your home and mind.

Do one area, even if it is a drawer, at a time. Take is easy and do not get too overwhelmed as its easy to just stuff it all back as it's too much to deal with.

 

[adviseplz]

This is the pep talk I needed, thanks everyone… charity shop trip tomorrow!

 

[Popcornshovel]

I know that feeling of wanting to hold on to clothes as I might not be able to get the quality again - pure linen, silk and wool are expensive. However, if the items themselves don't suit your lifestyle or colouring, they still hang in your wardrobe collecting dust.

Over the last couple of years I have soldiered on selling items for quite low sums of cash (it seems to me) but it is worth it. I have now amassed a tidy sum as it all adds up. I haven't missed or regretted anything yet. I am trying to work out what doesn't fit into my lifestyle now.

A stylist recently said you should spend most on the items you wear everyday not the fancy pieces for weddings or other special one-off occasions. So splurge on your everyday puffer coat but economise on a dress you will only wear a handful of times. Makes total sense yet I've always been drawn to fancy glamorous pieces rather than a sensible pair of walking shoes. I am working on this.

It's so much better to see all the extra hangers and putting clothes away after laundering is less of a chore now that I don't have to squash them in. Getting outfits together is easier too as they is less choice and I have got rid of the dead wood.

It's definitely worth it.

That's good advice about spending more on the hard working everyday items.

I used to splash out on special occasions outfits, but now I get those kinds things on Vinted and sell on after. Went to a wedding wearing a £12 dress from Vinted, washed and ironed it and sold it the next week for £10. So that's cost me about £6 (£2 plus fees and postage) to basically rent a dress.

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

Declutter day has arrived! Got six bags of old clothes and three bin bags for my recycling centre run this afternoon. Was MORTIFIED by the dust behind my bedside table About to tackle the Vinted pile that hasn't sold which will be getting added to the recycling pile. Then will spend time tidying up the mess I've created.

Found about 20 books in my mess pile beside my bed. Decluttered about half of them and Mr B has offered to drop them at a local charity shop this afternoon.

My next chance to declutter is a fortnight away so don't want to live in too much mess in that time. But am getting there.

 

[al255]

I LOVEEEE love love love getting rid of stuff.. I declutter every few months and it makes me feel so much more lighter! Any excuse to do a tip run

 

[idk21]

Off to B&Ms tomorrow to buy some storage boxes in a declutter attempt!

My unsolicited advice is sort first, organise later. Don't buy any containers until you know: 1) exactly how many you need after you've already sorted and decluttered; 2) what you're going to put in them, otherwise you'd risk ending up with too many containers which becomes clutter in itself (ask me how I know )

Hope this is ok to do, but I thought I'd share some posts from one of my fave minimalism bloggers on this topic too (I've mentioned her on other threads previously):

Minimalist Strategy: Don’t Organize Your Clutter

www.missminimalist.com

Storage is Not a Solution

www.missminimalist.com

 

[Gembo]

We’ve moved house three times in our 10 years together and until last year we still had stuff in the garage and loft from our first house together. I was dreading going through it but my husband sprung it on me and it did feel good to go through it. We live in a pretty small house now and since lockdown began I’ve decluttered two or three times. It feels so good to get rid of things, I absolutely love being more minimalistic. Our house is quite simple and I don’t have mismatched ornaments everywhere like in our first house. The energy feels so much better and I know where everything is now.

I do still have things I kind of wish I could throw out but I’m hugely sentimental but have scaled them down a bit and have some things in the loft that I can live with. One thing I definitely feel is it’s changed my buying habits, I really think now about whether I’ll use something or if it will become another thing that ends up cluttering a draw that I’ll eventually need to find another home for. I feel so much lighter and less weighed down and would recommend it to anyone.

 

[1001 others]

I definitely feel lighter (emotionally) having less stuff. I wouldn't say I'm minimalist per se, but everything I do have serves a purpose. It drives me mad when people have things to use "for best" or display purposes only. The only dust collectors I have are porcelain houses, which I have an addiction to.

When debating about whether to get rid of something or not, I pop it in a cupboard and make a diary note to revisit it in six months; if I haven't used it in all that time then out it goes.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

As somebody who loves to by tat that just end up cluttering up the house, I saw some great advice a while ago. Before you buy anything think of how long you have to work to buy that item ie you want that £20 decoration but that means you have to work 1 - 2 hours to afford it!
Put me right off buying some stuff once I realised how long I needed to work

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I know that feeling of wanting to hold on to clothes as I might not be able to get the quality again - pure linen, silk and wool are expensive. However, if the items themselves don't suit your lifestyle or colouring, they still hang in your wardrobe collecting dust.

Over the last couple of years I have soldiered on selling items for quite low sums of cash (it seems to me) but it is worth it. I have now amassed a tidy sum as it all adds up. I haven't missed or regretted anything yet. I am trying to work out what doesn't fit into my lifestyle now.

A stylist recently said you should spend most on the items you wear everyday not the fancy pieces for weddings or other special one-off occasions. So splurge on your everyday puffer coat but economise on a dress you will only wear a handful of times. Makes total sense yet I've always been drawn to fancy glamorous pieces rather than a sensible pair of walking shoes. I am working on this.

It's so much better to see all the extra hangers and putting clothes away after laundering is less of a chore now that I don't have to squash them in. Getting outfits together is easier too as they is less choice and I have got rid of the dead wood.

It's definitely worth it.

That is such good advice! I do splurge on jeans, coats and trainers. I’ll be honest trainers is my weakness But saying that I have a pair that’s 15 years old so I definitely get ny money’s worth. I tend to wear all these items until they fall apart or in some cases I got too fat
But I’m going to take the advice not to spend on fancy stuff. I hardly ever wear it. Like the odd wedding or occassion. This has made me now think which of the fancy stuff I can sell

 

[Definitelyme]

I think staying decluttered, not just constantly filling up again and repeating requires a real mind set change.
Before I buy stuff now I think do we really need it? Am I going to use it? Have we something that does the same or similar job? How long will it really last.
Not bringing as much in means less to clear out.

 

[Flowergirl14]

I'd love to have a more minimalist home but my issue is attachment!!!!
I like to keep things for memories but I just dont have the space anymore.
My partner just tells me to bin it or donate but I feel so guilty and I really don't know how to stop feeling like this any hints/tips please?

I am the same!
I have now pretty much managed to declutter my upstairs of my small house.
Now downstairs to do!

I actually had to employ 2 ladies who came in for 6 hours and went through my spare bedroom which was full with clothes and shoes. We did bin it, charity, ebay it, keep it piles! Also did a memory box, with clothes I had from my late sister... Best money I ever spent.

I was then in the mindframe to tackle my other rooms.

Although I am not a fan of Stacey Solomon, I find watching her BBC show motivates me to declutter....Marie Kondo on Netflix also. You can pick up some tips also. There is another show similar on BBC.

It is very libererating also! Good luck....

 

[50sGirl]

How do you stop thinking about the perceived future usefulness? To my mind I understand that the money I spent is gone, but if I throw the item away and then need another one in future I’ve spent twice for no reason. Am I missing something?

It depends how cluttered your home is and if you’d know where to find it if your future self needed it.

The week before Christmas I threw away 2 opened packets of curtain hooks that I found in a random box. My reasoning was that we are having Roman blinds fitted this year so I wouldn’t need them.
My son came to stay over Christmas and pulled on his bedroom curtains too hard and broke about 5 hooks! If only I’d not thrown them away! Yes, they’re cheap so I could’ve gone out and bought another packet but then that half opened packet would be languishing in a drawer forever more. Instead we fixed it with some string which will do until we get new blinds.

Why keep something for “some day” when someone else may desperately need it today?

I can throughly recommend Dana K White, A Slob Comes Clean, on YouTube, podcast or blog.
She helped change my mindset. I’ve still a long way to go but I feel confident I will get there this time.

 

[JoeBloggs]

I’m sorry if this is a complete ramble but I hope it makes some sense.

I’m a very tidy and clean person, I deep clean my house very regularly and my family thinks I’m a bit insane. But I enjoy it and it gives me such a sense of peace when it’s done. But lately I’ve had this nagging feeling like I have too many things. I’ve always had lots of material things as growing up I was bought a lot, nothing was ever really off limits and it was my parents way of being loving. Where as my husband doesn’t do stuff, he never had things as a child so doesn’t have that need like I do. I feel a sense of guilt that the house is mainly mine (and the children’s) things and not his. We’ve talked about it and he has no issue but I still do.

I also think lockdown has made me realise I don’t need all these things and there are people who need them more. I had a big clear out during the first lockdown and sold and donated a lot and now I want to go further.

I have a little dressing table in the spare room but I feel it’s not necessary and overly luxurious. I think it’s because my friend made a comment that I have a lot of things! That’s stuck with me, even though another friend in our group is a hoarder.

I’m not really sure what my point is, but I have this dark feeling over me and I want to clear out my house in the hope it will make me feel lighter I guess.

 

[Lucyxxxx]

I sware I declutter my house monthly and yet there's always too much stuff. I was very deprived as a child and now I love to have all the nice things I went without back then. It soothes 6 Yr old me. But I want a space free of stuff. It's not as much as it used to be. Currently half way through yet another declutter. I know if I kept off vinted half the issue would solve its self!!!

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

I had a clear out about 4 weeks ago
if I didn’t love it,use it or want it,then it went
11 black bags of clothes,3 babs of shoes,5 boxes of books,2 boxes of dvds one small tv,15 pictures,2 boxes of crap,a freeview box and 2 black bags of bedding went to the charity shop
I buy a lot from charity shops so it’s my way of giving back-let some one else have the pleasure of using it-while I’m having a look through what others don’t want
i hang to a lot of stuff but by clearing it,I find i have a clearer mind
i can find what I want so much easier and I have more to choose from if that makes sense?
my rule is if my fella starts making noises about moving stuff into the attic then it’s time to clear it out
our attic has two boxes of stuff (like my college work and pictures the kids have made over the years)
im a sod for buying stuff then becoming overwhelmed by the amount of ’stuff’ I have but have either gone off it or just don’t wear/use it
it’s much less stuff to dust too-I hate cleaning…

 

[Zulkraa]

What's it called?

 

[Popcornshovel]

Love a January declutter! Feels like a fresh start to the new year and a good time to sort through drawers and wardrobes.

 

[Mulholland Drive]

Well 6 bin bags of stuff finally went to the charity shop last night, which were gratefully received.

My house, my garage and my car look far less cluttered, although I suspect give it enough time and I will be returning to this thread to say how cluttered all three have become again