I want to scan all of my old high school workbooks then throw them out, i have tens if not almost a hundred(ish) workbooks that's just smaller then A4. I'm not sure what would be the best way to scan all these workbooks. (I have a printer but the scanner is 1-side only)

Update: Found a program that automatically sort scanned documents so that single sided printers can essentially scan double sided.

I've spent my entire life thinking that having a rug/carpet in my bedroom is necessary. Until yesterday. It was another time when I just picked up two miserable rugs and threw them into the bin. It always happens. They are annoying, my cat slides on them, they aren't in their place, they catch dirt and dust, it is hard to clean them. It was the moment when I realised it had never worked. I don't like rugs. I just like the way they look in home design magazine photos. May they rest in Hell. Say no to rug dictatorship. Free yourselves.

Most people declutter so they can have more space, and I am too, but some traitorous part of me hates empty shelves and bare walls. I cope by spreading my stuff out, putting furniture farther apart, putting decorated boxes on shelves just to take up space, etc.

If you too are someone who dislikes the empty spaces for some reason, how do you deal with them as you declutter?

I just purged my bathroom vanity - 1 cabinet opening plus 3 drawers. Got rid of 82 items (mostly various expired health/hygiene/beauty products and random samples picked up from wherever). Earliest expiration was 2015 which was a lot better than I expected.

Few thoughts:

1. I'm a veteran declutterer and with every item it only took maybe 2 to 4 seconds to make a decision.

2. I had help. I sat on the floor and passed things to my spouse who sat on a chair and sorted them into boxes and the trash can as I called them out. They also did the documenting :) This was a great help because I didn't have to try to sort in the narrow confines of the bathroom and didn't have to keep getting up/down or bending.

3. There were only like 5 items we had to consider before making a decision. But it was really helpful to be able to ask aloud - "I'm not going to use this. Is this something you use / would use?". That way I got a decision rather than having to make a pile to ask them about later before throwing away the full bottle of X that they bought to try that I thought was left behind by one of the college kids.

4. Speaking of college kids - they had fair warning. If neither me nor my spouse wanted it / used it, then it's now gone. They were told long ago to get their stuff into their designated "home" areas and that common areas around the house were for me and spouse while they are living in their apartments. They are welcome to move back home and will come home for breaks and summer - doesn't mean they get to leave stuff in the bathroom endlessly.

5. I went in not planning on being perfect. I threw away partly used bottles that could have been salvaged but I know I don't want to put in the effort - I'm not perfect, it is what it is. I also kept a few things I probably should have gotten rid of, but want to still give myself a chance to try - not a perfect declutter, but it is what it is.

So in summary - deciding what to purge wasn't hard at all mentally/emotionally thanks to prior practice. Having a partner to reduce physical difficulty and effort paid off big-time. This was a project I'd been dreading for that specific reason. And in the end, took less than an hour (inc. a full cleaning of all the drawers, etc.) to finish the project I'd been postponing for over six months.

Hello! I just joined this sub because it's possible we may be selling our house soon, and in order to have it valued I want it at its best.

2 adults (me, 38F and husband 39M) and 3 kids, (11M, 10F and 5F). We have a 3-bed end of terrace and a LOT of stuff. Thing is, when I tidy and make the "best" there is still clutter and I am clutter blind. How do I start?! 😱

So to be honest, I would rather sell all of these items. I am going overseas for study, I have no job opportunities at the moment, so it’s purely for leisure and study but I would consider relocating permanently if I can, so I don’t know if I’m coming back or not… I managed to sell the stuff that I don’t use, and tbh I don’t have much stuff that takes place. I could easily donate the bedroom furniture or even chuck it because I repainted it and it’s not worth keeping. If I’m coming back I would still love to keep for sofa which is $3k and it’s so comfortable omg!! It took me forever to find the sofa this comfortable haha Apart from that I have my three lovely Persian natural wool carpets that i also love, that’s pretty much it!! I would donate the clothes that I don’t use and only keep what I use. I was quoted $150 per month for storage, if I want to keep all my stuff, but the price would be the same if I only keep couch just because it’s large. So I’m thinking for paying for 12 months storage upfront in case I won’t like it overseas and want to come back?… Any thoughts? I think the most painful part for me is selling the car as keeping it is expensive, I don’t have any close friends to look after it either, so I was quarter $281/month for storing the car…or sell for half of what’s it’s worth which is painful… Any advice? Thanks 🙏

My closet is small. And in addition to the clothing hanging up, I also had assorted things taking over the bottom--shoes, boots, boxes for things that are still in warranty, etc that it's been turning into a tripping hazard.

So I invested in a couple of 4-high cube organizers to make use of the vertical space against the sides of the closet, hang my clothes between the two, and start clearing off the floor.

Thing is, there's always a tradeoff. Like I said, small closet. Keeping things in the cubes is fine if I don't need them regularly, or if they're low to the ground, but the clothes get in the way of moving things in and out of the organizers.

My current plan is to clear off one organizer so I can get it out of my closet. Haven't decided what I'll do with it, maybe donate, maybe replace the 2-high sitting by my bed, but clearing it off is the important part right now.

With that, I got rid of two shoe boxes, combined all my color change lights (some still in box) onto a single shelf, and checked receipts to discover a couple of items with expired warranties and tossed those boxes. I also realized my backpack (which needs its own decluttering session) could easily fit in the one fabric cube I kept in the closet units. And added a back/neck massager to the donate box upon realizing I still owned two.

All told I've emptied off.. one shelf out of four. Better than none! And the only things on the floor between the two units is a box of user manuals and a box of this year's Christmas presents.

Edit: neck massager not organizer. So focused on decluttering my brain wants everything to be organized I guess, lol.

I need some motivation tips and tricks to help me declutter the apartment.

Basically the title. Halloween's done. I usually hang onto daughter's costumes for a year or two while they still fit if she wants to use them for dress up play, but my stuff? I'm inclined just to donate right away. I did find room in a spare room closet. I mean, there's a chance daughter could use my accessories in a few years if she wants to dress up in the same type of character. Then again, the set was $14 and easily found at Party City.

Phase 1: let go of clothing using traditional methods focusing on what to discard

Results of Phase 1: 5 pieces to donate

Phase 2: let go of more clothing that was in the keep focusing on what to keep (konmari)

Results of Phase 2: 20 pieces to donate

Phase 3: let go of clothing that does not pair with at least 2-3 other items (capsule)

Results of Phase 3: 30 pieces to donate

Pattern of decisions: the items that were not in Phase 1 or Phase 2 were all expensive items that were perceived as high value because of the cost. the reality is that these items were less joyful to wear and needed to be let go.

Final results: every item pairs with 2-3 things. everything fits. everything i look forward to wearing.

Bonus: decreased time to get ready

I have noticed since I put all of one sort of clothing in a paper bag and blindly grabbed one out each day to wear, I have donated 5 shirts that I never thought I would because I liked the looks of it, but never wore since it didn’t fit right. Sure I could have made them into a quilt or a pet bed or a pillow, but I would rather someone else enjoy it and wear them now instead of them sitting in my HUGE sewing project pile. My bedroom closet is a typical closet that is in bedrooms, you know the style with the bi fold doors that came off 5 minutes after we got the keys to our house when we moved in forever ago. We put in a closet system, so there are drawers in the middle and then a smaller hanging rod on each side, one side for me, the other for my husband. My side was always cramped, so I decided to limit my hangers, aiming for 24. I have 29 now. Started at 40. You guys, there’s room to actually move my hangers a little bit in my side of the closet. I actually have a hanger for everything and no more pile of shirts on the floor because I didn’t have hangers. I have work supplied shirts for work, so all I need are pants. I have 4 pairs and was routinely wearing 2 of them. I’m making myself wear all 4 plus one repeat every week. I’ve discovered I really don’t like one pair, hence why it always hung in the closet, and I know I can get by with just two pairs, so that one is in the donation pile. I also hang all my work pants and jeans, so another hanger gone! I don’t dread putting laundry away because I now can fit everything where it belongs with a little wiggle room! My socks and underwear all fit inside their container in the drawer, I no longer have to shove the drawer shuts, it glides so smoothly!

Now I’m far from done, haven’t gone through my sweaters yet (it was 80s two days ago and is now finally in the 40s) so I will be doing them soon. I also still change out of my at home clothes at night and drop them on the floor and leave them there until I get back into them the next day, but the pile on the floor is much smaller since I don’t have the pile of shirts that can’t fit in the closet. My room still has piles of crap along the walls and that huge stack of blankets that’s been waiting for winter to be used. Don’t worry-finding a home for them during summer is my winter job. It might take me another couple months to fully declutter my bedroom, but that’s okay, t took over 4 decades to get all this crap, 60 more days to clear it out won’t kill me.

I didn’t take time off to do this, I chipped away at it, 15 minutes every other day or so, an hour or so on the weekends. I have kids and a very busy life right now, so it will take time, but I’m noticing a huge difference and I wanted to share so hopefully it will motivate someone else.

We're tackling unwanted toys before the fall/winter holidays, because thrift stores appreciate having a bigger stock at this time of year. It's also an opportunity to make space before children receive new toys as gifts.

There's a lot of wisdom that children who are old enough to understand decluttering should participate in making decisions and building good habits. This is also a really fraught topic, where r/decluttering members have shared many thoughts over the years. Here are five helpful threads to give you food for thought:

• I can't get myself to donate my kid's toys
• Toys. So many toys I'm losing my mind
• Toys--Where to Start And What to Keep and How to NOT Look Like an Evil Mom
• How can I convince my mom to let me get rid of toys?
• Toys Are The Bane Of My Existence- HELP

I want to underline that the point of decluttering toys is not some ideal Influencer Parent level of minimalism. It's to make it easier for your child(ren) to keep their own spaces tidy, and to help them set priorities.

If you're an adult with collections, it's worthwhile to periodically re-evaluate whether you're happy with the current size and configuration of your collections.

As always, share tips, triumphs, and your craziest finds!

I live quite minimally with a very cosy space with essentials and arts around me. But whenever I go home to my parents, where I still have multiple rooms, that are also tidy and romantic, I always somehow end up throwing away multiple bins worth of stuff. I always find stuff. How is it possible. Did I collect too much during my college years because I had so little money and compensated by hoarding in a way? I am also keeping stuff too long to sell online. After what time do you finally throw it away? I feel like I throw stuff like that away every week. It is so odd. I always need something to throw away. (New) books, (design) clothes, cosmetics.

Selling second hand feels like a joke and I just end up throwing it all out. I have donated a lot of clothes though. I throw them in a special container. But I always feel like throwing away more stuff. Is this normal? Or is this a compulsive behavior? Or is stuff really that badly made these days that I just get fed up with it because it is not as useful as I thought it was? Also some clothes give me bad memories or vibes or bring bad luck. I also threw out a lot of crystals. Do you ever feel like you bought too much cheap stuff during a poor student phase in your life or something and you are just constantly trying to update it?

Apologies to you guys for using this sub as a secondary decluttering journal. It gives me motivation to keep going. I promise I am not getting rid of everything in my house even if my posts might seem like it. These are stuff that I just don't use anymore, find to be an eyesore or stuff that were already long overdue to get rid of. At least it should give an idea of just how much crap I had been holding on to.

After 3 weeks of decluttering my library room is not only decluttered but TIDY. It actually resembles a reading room now and a bookworm's sanctuary :) Books that I want to keep are neatly organized in their shelves. Just walking into the room uplifts my mood. I double checked to make sure nothing was shoved into corners, sides and other hiding places.

So here's what else I've thrown out since my last post:

• another recliner - another broken furniture
• dresser mirror - another broken furniture
• computer desk - last of the broken furniture
• 1 dining chair (all of its matching set pieces are gone anyway)
• corner table
• 2 bedside tables
• space heater
• broiler
• 5 area rugs
• keyboard musical instrument that doesn't work anymore
• 1 box full of audio CDs
• 3 more boxes full of books
• 3 boxes full of household decorative items (crystals, trip souvenirs, etc)
• 1 more box of childhood toys
• 2 more smaller suitcases full of clothes
• 3 smaller flower vases

Other disposals (not donations):

Two boxes of various electronics including:

• landline handset phones (meant to throw away a long time ago)
• broken watches
• used up batteries
• various loose cords
• outdated digital cameras
• digital USB microphone
• 2 outdated printers
• electric toothbrushes
• electric razors

hazardous waste:

• half-used makeup sets
• half-used bottles of perfumes
• medication
• aerosols

Next round: 6 carpet runners, more corner table-type furniture that are just collecting dust, linens, paperwork, kitchen pantries.

I'm already ready to recycle a stack of magazines as tall as me (I am not that tall but it feels like an accomplishment anyway).

I feel like I am getting closer to the end goal, but I also learned that decluttering never really stops. The stuff I've decided to keep will eventually need to go too. All this stuff was just suffocating me. I am only trying to breathe.

Thanks to this sub for giving me a reality check several weeks ago. I needed it. I think I will just keep the momentum going from now on.

Update - Dining room is now tidy as well! The table and the pieces of furniture I am keeping are in their proper places, got two brand new floor lamps and it's now a cozy place to eat my meals.

Second Update - Basement storage room is tidy! It now holds only my camping equipment and a neatly sorted holiday decorations.

~4 months ago I moved bedrooms in my own house and took only a small selection of things, and only about 20% of my clothes, to my new, smaller bedroom with much less storage. Since then my old room has been a dump of stuff that I've just picked through as I think about stuff I want, but I've put more stuff back into it ("actually I don't want this after all") than I've taken out.

For the last couple of months it's mostly existed as an untouched room of shame that makes me miserable to look at or think about because I don't know how to approach dealing with what's left.

Yesterday I had some unexpected success of photographing my junk filled shed and offering anything in it for free on a local facebook group in the hope that would reduce the pile a bit, and a few hours later 75% was gone, what's left really is just actual rubbish.

While unconvinced this trick would work twice, this morning I did one last half hour sweep for anything I thought I might want in the room shame and posted pictures of it in all it's "stuff strewn over the floor" glory and said people could have anything they wanted in the hope this would reduce the pile.

2 hours later and the room was completely empty, I just have an empty wardrobe left after a bloke just came and took EVERYTHING. Allegedly his wife will sort through it all and it'll be sold to raise money for the local lifeboats, but I don't even care if this is a lie and they sell it to make money for themselves because it's gone! By magic!

If there's anything important it doesn't matter. I have had months to think about it and get it out of there, if I haven't thought of it yet it can't be important. Right now I feel amazing that it's all just GONE.

I'm 31, just went through a breakup from a 12y relationship. I bought things when i was unhappy and also having ADHD/depression i would feel better after buying things. I financially cannot get my own place with the debts I have so I'm living with family until I figure things out. I have a large room now, but did not unpack things into the rest of the house as they don't have a need for extra. I'm a little stumped on some things and they aren't all just the usual stuff.

      Yearbooks - I've read to take photos or keep 1 you like. I didn't have friends in school, and don't really have good memories of school. I don't plan on having children, but it still seems taboo to get rid of all of them? I have a few, but as I'm decluttering books I've never read they still take up space. Are they just a reminder of bad memories? Or when I'm 60 I'll be glad I could recognize a classmate while flipping through the pages?

      Gifts- my best friend has gotten crafty and made some personalized gifts like mugs and tote bags. I use the totes to store other things, and mugs sit on a bookshelf and collect coins or pens. I like a few, but these were also early in their crafting days so they aren't particularly well done. Is it rude to get rid of? Friend would say they don't mind but I don't want to regret it later. I also have other "containers" that collect pens coi s etc so it's a lot of space for things to collect other things. There is also a bag I received from work during appreciation week with my very common name on the front, but also has a logo of the field of work I do. I seem to collect bags - I think by typing this I know I can donate that bag?

      Books- I was reading like crazy, went out and bought probably 20-30 books at like 5-10 bucks each. Only read maybe 3 of them. It's been 6m to 1y since bringing them home. I thought about switching to a Kindle or nook but I would then have to rebuy the books and that seems repetitive. Since moving I think donating would be great since they are heavy and moving them is a pain. But there's a block, once again from "losing" and not reading any? Like admitting defeat? I also have a few textbooks from my field of work, but thinking it's been almost 10 years since school, and it's medical related - they are probably a little out of date, yes?

      Extras that don't have a spot - extra towels i use for pets, ones that are old and I don't personally use. How many is acceptable? They don't have holes, but they are just cheap towels that have been used and now I bought 1 towel that I use and wash frequently but is nicer material.  Toss them all? Toss all but 1 "back up towel"? Sheets - I don't have extras anymore now that I have a different size bed. I used to have a BUNCH of extras, but now only what is on the bed. How do I avoid going back to having 5 different sheets that I never use? Is it okay to have 2 sets, and when I take one off to wash, put the other on? Or just stick with 1 set? I also have so many blankets, as they are a comfort item and I also use a certain type for my pets. How many is too many?

Outdoor activities? Rock climbing gear, hasn't been in at least 6m, don't intend to do it again at least on my own but a few family members are extremely into it and may want me to come. I am in a depressive state where I don't want to do anything, but I don't want to have to buy everything again if I come out of this wanting to go out and do things. I have an inflatable paddle board, bought used and only used once with my best friend. She actually said she was thinking of getting rid of hers but then thought of me and didn't. We used it over a year ago. Even bought an electric pump afterwards and still hasn't been used.

      Artwork- I have prints of art work directly bought from the artist, none are originals. I had a bad habit of buying a LOT from the same artist. One artist had a sale and each print was only 4$. So I probably bought 10-15 prints. My sense of style/appreciation has changed but it feels wrong and rude to donate the remaining prints. I also have a custom artwork from a tattoo artist made specifically for my previous relationship, the date we started dating and an item that represented how we met. It has been 3 months since breaking off and I 1000000000000% will never go back to them and it was VERY much the right decision. I am not in the headspace to still talk with them right now, but could in the future. Is it rude to trash the art? I think the artist would understand as it literally has the date as the main focus, but it still feels wrong. I have a lot of artwork in frames that I still enjoy but do not have wall space right now - I feel that is okay to store until I'm on my own and can find wall space for everything?

      Last very niche thing - pet items. I have exotic pets that require heating, and I have an entire bin of just in case bulbs or heat fixtures or various items. Worth getting rid of all of it? Or the million extension cords or surge protectors, worth just getting rid of? Dogs/cat items -my cat used her cat tree almost 80% of the day at previous place. Now she never uses it. Donate? Dog collars that were expensive and still great shape, sell/donate? Dog life jacket I bought for paddle board but never went out again or used it??

This is so long. Feeling so lost. But trying to find motivation to have less, hopefully feel less cluttered physically and emotionally, and feel less anxiety/depression from my surroundings. There are a lot of external factors intensifying these feelings, and while I feel like I know the answers, I need reassurance I guess? Edited to create breaks in paragraphs.

I am married with 2 small kids (4 and 1) so stuff ALWAYS need cleaning and decluttering. The dishes are constant. The laundry. The toys laying around. The stacks of outgrown clothes, busted toys, abandoned projects (frim both kid and grown up)

Here's my trick for getting decluttering (or sometimes cleaning) done when just swamped with the dailyness of family life. I leave the stuff that will always just get done somehow, and do the thing that won't. Even when the stuff i am leaving seems like the "logical' place to start. Sometimes I will pick up the dish sponge, ready to dove in to breakfast and lunch dishes, and then set i will pause, set it down, go to my daughters room, and clean out 2 drawers of clothes in the 10 minutes it would have taken me to do dishes. By the end of the day, those dishes will still get done, whereas that drawer cleaning will not. It never will. Now I don't do this every day, or with everything, but just sometimes. And that is how I stay on top of decluttering things. I also have a great partner who will clean up the kitchen without thinking twice about it, even if he wouldn't go through the kids clothes- thats just not on his radar. This also isn't a secret or anything, I'm not tricking him into cleaning the kitchen more.

I also always have a goodwill box, next to the dryer, near the garage. When it's full I load it in the car and drop off. It's amazing how well it works to just have a "home" for the stuff that needs to go.

This is probably universal, but I've found that while sorting through "stuff", the one observation that makes it easy for me to let go of an item is this: "Oh, I didn't know I [still] had this".

This is perhaps the flip side of the coin "this item sparks joy". If I have something in my collection and I had forgotten that I owned it, that's a red flag that I can let it go. In a sense, it was already gone.

I know this question might sound like I'm too lazy to do it myself, but I really don't have as much time as I'd like to help my (fairly elderly) parents move to their new home, and we'd need all the help we can get to get all their things to their new place. I can handle the delivery costs and the cleaning, but what I'm interested in is whether any of these companies (here in the US) also do the decluttering for you - and if they do, can you recommend some?

The only recommendation I got from friends is for Homeaglow, so if anyone has experience with them (especially if they DO do decluttering), I'd like to hear about that. But, generally, I'm looking for a professional and fast service that can do sorting, disposing of unwanted items, and hopefully also organize what remains to make the house presentable for sale.

I'd appreciate your recommendations and answers, thank you!

I've been moving recently and also preparing to move again soon, and I've had to get rid of a lot of hobby items already to people that were more than happy to take them on online sales/trade groups. Things like gardening supplies, old/unused blankets, unused cookware, jars, etc. I feel like I could prune more now that i'm in a smaller space and my goal is to eventually even get what's remaining down to about half of what I have so that way I have even less to move next time.

But the things I have some difficulty wanting to get rid of are old childhood items. I didn't have any issue getting rid of old accolades/awards. I figure i've seen them once and I remember them, now I don't need them anymore. But it's more of the things like, cards received on holidays, old physical video games that i've played through and have no use for since there are alternatives to play them, and especially for me, many, many many paper drawings I made since I was a kid and through the years.

Sure I could look through them one more time just for memories, or scan them, but there's literally hundreds/thousands of paper drawings, taking up two big, very heavy boxes that I just can't see myself feasibly transporting with me anymore. I don't think they're entirely necessary. I don't see them as being a part of my life as it currently is anymore. But it is a nice thing to look back on sometimes as a reminder of how I got to my profession now.

I don't know what to really ask. Any advice on letting go? Or would something like that be worth holding on to?

Sunday I was putting on my make up, and went looking for a limited edition highlighter I bought several years ago. I found two of the three highlighters from that release, but not the one I wanted to wear. I tore through the drawers of make up, but I've decluttered several times and it was obvious that what I wanted on Sunday had been tossed a year ago.

I felt real regret. I have plenty of blush and highlight, so I put on something else and went about my day. I still missed the highlighter.

And so I went on line, and found multiple sales for it, new in the box. Not even $30. I thought about repurchasing it. I put it in my cart. But the truth is that I don't even miss it $30 worth. So the regret just went away.

Most of the time our fear of feeling declutter regret is much worse than the actual feeling. As long as we hang onto the stuff, that fear persists. But the truth is that declutter regret is rare, and short-lived.

To start, I have decently severe ADHD and grew up with a very crafty/artsy and DIY family. Something needed fixed? Grandpa did it. Wanted to make something? Grandma, great grandma, mom, and I all figured it out and did it.

As an adult, that naturally transitioned into if I wanted to try a hobby, try a craft, or work on something, I bought the stuff and did it- but I also didn’t stick with just one thing but it’s not the same “I buy something for a project and then never touch it again” that most of the advice I see online about decluttering craft stuff focuses on. Sure, I may not touch my sewing machine for 6 months- but then I make a quilt or fix/alter a backlog of clothes or make quite a few things. I may not pick up my cross stitch for a year, but then I work on it for a few weeks and put 40k stitches in a project. I have also run into the fact that so much craft stuff is able to be used for multiple things and transitions across the spectrum of use.

Unfortunately, I have way too much for the room I have available to store it and, after the spare bedroom got absolutely trashed during wedding prep and crafting (I had to dump stuff out of storage totes to use the totes to store and transport wedding decor and supplies because I didn’t have enough) I have been avoiding the room like the plague because it’s a disaster and has been just over two years now. I need to declutter it and get rid of stuff, but mentally, I haven’t been able to.

How do I break the “but I will probably use it again or in something else?” Cycle? I know I have some pack-rat tendencies, even outside of the craft supplies, but the craft stuff is the least sentimental and seems like it should be emotionally easier- I just am seriously struggling. I mean… I’ve only JUST gotten to where I can make myself throw away short pieces of ribbon, yarn, and rope instead of saying “but this could be used in x, y, or z instead of cutting a whole new roll/skein/hank.”

I’d like to be able to have my craft room be a combination craft room and spare bedroom- but it’s not a huge room and there’s zero room to even put a fold-out Murphy bed or something right now let alone be able to actually unfold it.

So I’m a hoarder, but I don’t hoard useless stuff. I have a lot of things that I use. Examples would be skin care, hair care, clothing. But my house is small and I don’t have room for it, and I really get stressed when I feel cramped in my home. Any advice and tips for decluttering when I technically use everything? Or maybe ways of storing things when you have a small house so that it’s out of sight and looks organised and minimalistic?

** realised I spelt advise and meant advice and it’s bothering me lol

I bought a condo earlier this month, and the sellers left behind all of their furniture because apparently the husband had promised his wife a whole new household in their new place. It's decent stuff but not my aesthetic at all. I've gotten rid of all of it, but I'm hung up on the bed. In addition to not being my taste, it is a king size and way too big for me. But the sellers were nice enough to leave me new sheets for it, and this is causing me a twinge of guilt. They really did an amazing job cleaning out the whole unit and I appreciate all the kitchenwares they also left.

I know this is it's kind of a good problem to have, but I guess I'm just seeking validation lol.

(Strongly recommend AptDeco for selling furniture that you don't want to have to move and transport yourself. They will send people to pick it up for you. It's a steep commission - almost 40% - but well worth it for the convenience.)

Report back with what you found!

We are working on moving. Time is on our side as we've been fixing up the new house and don't have to move everything right away. My goal is not to move anything we aren't using. I've been cleaning rooms out systematically and finding all kinds of things that I forgot I had. We've lived in this house for 10 years + 2 kids so lots of accumulated stuff.

I found two items that I got for my high school graduation 20 years ago that were very nice, engraved gifts, that are still in the box and I've never touched. What do I do with these?

The one is a glass trinket box and I don't even like it but it has my name on it.

The other one is a photo album from my best friend (we are still best friends, have been since kindergarten) that says our names on it and was meant for pictures of the both of us together but she didn't put any pictures in and it's been 20 years and I haven't either. I love the concept but clearly the execution is beyond my skill set.

What do I do with these?

I know this is small potatoes but I'm so stumped.

I'm trying to keep things out of the landfill as much as possible, I've been using a lot of buy nothing group and donating to the shelter but how do I get rid of things with my name on them??

On a slightly related note, I have every yearbook from every year I've been in school plus some of the years I've taught. Do I keep these? I almost never look at them. Will I regret getting rid of them??

Thanks!

I went through my two drawers of kitchen utensils plus the utensil crock tonight! It didn’t take me too long either. I took everything out of one drawer at a time, cleaned the drawer, and then put back only the things I wanted to keep. Then I took a short break before starting the next drawer. I found out that I owned a lemon juicer! Neither my husband nor I remember ever buying one….. 😂 We also own a ridiculous amount of reusable straws, which I hate using to be honest. I like just drinking from my water bottle without a straw. I just organized those for now, but they may leave in a future kitchen decluttering session. The drawers look so good now!

Advice on photo decluttering. I have hundreds of loose photos, many belonged to parents, grandparents. Not to mention old photo albums. Was going to maybe scan them and upload to cloud. But there is something special about old photos from 80-90 years ago. Any suggestions on how to manage ?

I have trouble keeping my room organized or clean. I did several rounds of decluttering before, and I end up with the same unorganized space in a couple of weeks. The last time, I decluttered several books as well (I hold onto books).

This time, I have been struggling a bit more than usual - with physical health issues and pain, recovering from abuse, recent ADHD diagnosis with no progress in finding prescribed meds in our locality, etc.

I have been reading books and the posts here, watching YouTube videos, and generally just trying to understand why I can never make my space functional. So this time, even if delayed, I wanted to take it slow and do things differently. I cleared my bed yesterday after months, and I thought I am finally closer to cleaning my room.

Today, I took out one shelf of items - books, albums and miscellaneous. And realized that I still struggle with throwing any of them away. If I go with what I want to keep, even now, I will end up with the same stuff. I even have some of my textbooks from school and college (I'm 29 now), after I decluttered most of them in the last round.

I don't want to lose out on the little notes I made while reading them, but it would be impossible to keep them all and make space for anything else. I feel like I lost myself throughout the years, and during my previous relationship - the narc abuse was intense. And the brain fog, somehow I feel like I can't even live up to my younger self who was better at a few things. I realized I feel like I will be losing that as well, if I give up this stuff.

How do you deal with it? Is it too trivial to think so much about? The clutter is weighing me down, but I don't know how to get rid of this stuff. I want a cleaner space for myself, and I don't think I can deal with this anymore. But how do I do it?

Thanks to anyone who read this, because I'm just anxious and rambling, and feel like no matter what I do or how much I work on myself, I am not making any progress in any aspect of my life.

I did a big declutter in May after my ex moved out. It was really good to get a ton of stuff gone! I donated to a charity that came to pick up my stuff, total motivator!

Anyway, I'm doing a second round of decluttering. I'm going through soaps, lotions, etc today. If I have doubles of a soap should I toss one? Or keep it for when I run out?

Factors: both opened, neither expired, both for in my container, container might be too big for its container!

Thoughts??