Thanks for reading this. No, they are not Picasso's. They were just commissions to paint things from our family and stuff and I have no desire to keep them. So does anyone know what I can do with them? I mean, beyond just throw them in the trash; which that seems kind of wasteful. Thank you

craft supplies, plates, jackets, candles, books, unwanted gifts, jewelry, notebooks, shoes, a lamp, etc etc. Enough to fill 6 large moving boxes and completely fill the car. There wasn't even room for me- one big box had to go in the passenger seat and my husband took it to Goodwill.

It feels so so good to have the living room back (I live in a small city apt - 900 sq ft ish) from these boxes as I was decluttering, and you can fully walk into our storage closets now!! It also feels rlly good to have arrived at the point in our life where we can get rid of the ratty old hand towels in griege, that neither of us like, bc we have nicer ones now. I remember when we first moved in together, there were sooo many things that we just accepted from friends and family because we just needed a X. We finally can be picky enough that we can go "hey we have an X we like and one we don't." And the ugly old hand towel goes!!!! As someone who loves pretty things and whose environment is very important to her, this has made me so so happy.

I am so excited to work on my projects now instead of just the overdue declutter. I have a couple of nieces/nephews arriving this fall/winter and baby stuff to crochet for them!!

Just had to share this win. The physical relief of this empty living room right now is so huge. If you're mid-declutter PUSH THRU. The other side is so nice.

Context: I requested a room from my parents and I really need it especially im entering g12 they agreed but this room is like a storage room full of stuff and I need to declutter and i have no idea where to start every drum container is filled with old stuff toys that doesnt get used, old shoes, suitcases, drum of curtains theres so much stuff, it felt so overwhelming. I really want to have a room before g12 starts but first i need space and the solution for that is decluttering.

I need advice on everything and need to achieve this before school starts(it starts in 2 weeks)

Update: My parents didn’t let me declutter, thank you for the advice everyone💖💖(i will go cry in the corner)

I'm being pressured by my daughter to get rid of everything but the bare essentials that I will need on a daily basis. I'm relatively healthy and active, about a decade away from retirement, and enjoy my art, antique and book collections. I've pared down to just essential clothing, 2 plates, 2 mugs and 2 sets of silverware. I'm going through my books, getting rid of furniture, and wondering what on earth I am doing. I'm feeling depersonalized and erased. It will break my heart to lose the art, especially. Any advice for someone feeling forced to "declutter" when they don't want to? I tried posting this earlier by the post never showed. Guess it go decluttered?

So I need to start this post with: I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA. Like RURAL, rural. We're talking an hour drive to the nearest Walmart. So pawn shops/fb rummage/local resale are routes I've been down and had no luck already.

So my mother died unexpectedly in March, and I'm the only child that inherited all her stuff. She was a reseller, with a storage unit, a vendor space in a co-op(too expensive for us to keep though), and a camper packed to the brim. The stuff isn't worthless, it's just not high value - antiques worth a couple bucks <$50, resellable shoes, vintage stuff. My partner and I have been taking stuff to the local flea markets for weeks and netting ~$100-200 each time, but I have a tiny car and I'm so tired. I work full time, I have a kid, it's summer, I feel like I'm spending all my time just sorting flea market shit I don't want to deal with it anymore . On the flip side of this, I'm trying hard to declutter my basement, we moved in to help my dad out about six years ago as he and my mom were getting divorced. He's a hoarder. After mom died we convinced him we needed to clean out the basement to make room for her things, it was a ton of work but much easier because most of the stuff was actual garbage, or had no resale value (clothes, old holiday decor, some big old couches, ECT)

So this post is getting long, I guess my question is does anyone have any advice for getting rid of a large amount of flea market/resale stuff (like i could easily fill a 20' uhaul)? I know I could donate but frankly I could also use some kind of compensation from it, mom didn't have anything and we owe a pretty large amount to the IRS/funeral home now. Chipping away at it is just taking so much of my time and energy.

Just a rant! I need to move soon and I have SO much stuff. I wish I could just hypnotize myself or flip a switch in my brain to not want any of my stuff!! I just wish it was all gone! When I go through piece by piece everything fills me with hesitation, like everything is special to me for one reason or another and I have such a hard time getting rid of more than a few things here and there. I recently helped my Mom move some stuff from her house to the apartment in her yard (she's downsizing) and even in just a couple of hours of that I was overwhelmed by seeing how many little things needed to be moved. My house is so much more chaotic and I have even more stuff and I wish it was just all gone! Just feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with how sentimental I am about all my crap. Thanks for listening!

Edited to add I'm pretty sure I have undiagnosed ADHD or something so not sure how that plays into it 🫤

We’ve declutterred a ton of stuff. Some of the remaining stuff is making me feel frustrated because of how visible it is and cramped it makes me feel. I’m specifically talking about a long narrow slanted ceiling closet in our townhouse rental. It’s where we have to store things you’d normally put in a garage but we don’t have a garage. It’s also where the cats litter box has to be. I hate it because the litter dust gets on things and it’s cramped. I go in there for some stuff we store. Examples of things I’m talking about are road bike, air purifiers (bad air quality in our area during summer), Xmas tree, electric heater, hose, Xmas ornaments, car parts and cleaning supplies, longboard, roller skates, etc. And then bins of other type things like extension cords, office supplies, tools. I want to pay someone to come in and organize things to look better and assist with visual clutter in the open concept living area we have but my bf wants to try helping me and maybe considering a small storage unit first for things we want to keep but can’t store with visual minimalism right now. He’s worried about spending $1000+ for an organizer for a place we may not rent again and so for a space that’s different than our next space. Is a small storage unit the size of a closet ever okay or is it always a sign to throw more away?

I do believe in using up my products, makeups, body cares, and wear my clothes till they have holes in them before throwing them away. And low buy to avoid further clutter. But I see my housemate's ability to throw away clothes makeups to declutter and buy new things/clothes that she wants having gotten rid of the previous ones and I'm so jealous somehow? Why is it so hard for me to throw away things. Even when the things are no longer in good shape or clothes having little holes in them.

What decluttering and organization advice do you disagree with?

My biggest one is Dana K White saying "donatable donate box." One, I'm likely to lose which random box is donations, maybe get worried that something fell in by accident, and have to sort through it again anyway. I forget what I bought it for, but I have a plastic trash can with a lid for donations. ( [Shaped like this one, but clear and more intended for decoration.]https://www.wyevalleyauctions.com/catalogue/lot/e7945ca5835413b6f7cd3aaee16916a8/2a6fa85538c56e3991b429b74f737ad8/general-auction-sale-lot-8/) ) I'm more likely to throw something in if I'm only 90% sure because I do have a chance to pull something back out while I'm sorting which thrift gets what. I rarely change my mind once something is in there. If I have to be 100% sure before tossing something into the donate, the thing is more likely to stay where it is or get packed away.

Similarly, "take it there now" is not great for me. Some of my storage is fussy to get into, so even if I were willing to set something down in the process of trying to put it away, it takes a lot of energy sometimes. Instead, I'm going to have a designated doombox, probably a few categories of them. The alternative is to have more stuff stuck in "good enough for now" spots. (Glue in the tape box because the tape box is on top.)

A special mention to anyone who says "pull everything out" like I think Marie Kondo. That's a late-game thing depending on the volume. For anything over four feet of closet rod, I'd say to do some pruning passes before trying to do the whole thing together.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for your thoughts on whether you would hire a male Professional Organiser for home, workspace, and digital organising. This field is traditionally female-dominated, stemming from outdated views that only women manage tidying and organising.

I’m considering transitioning from my corporate career to something more fulfilling and impactful. Organising has always been my strength, and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from people I’ve helped.

I’m passionate about helping people organise their lives and spaces, but I wonder if being male might affect my success in this industry.

I would appreciate any thoughts and feedback you have on this.

Thanks!

I have excessive and unused stuff around the house and I was able to give them away via FB declutter pages. The feeling of putting away and clearing is so good not just for our home but for the people in it. These are really random things and this is how I did it:

1. Designate a "for declutter" box or basket. Every week or so, look at it and check if it can be donated or sold or if anyone you know might need it.

2. Hide away unessential things. If you don't look for it or use it within a month, it means it's time to say goodbye (except for the seasonal ones).

3. Take the time to check for old/expired make ups, seasonings, meds (yep!) and even food. Aside from them being toxic, it will only use the space for the better things you should have.

The full-blown one-day decluttering does not work for everyone but if it does, good for you! Sometimes, the tiny habits we build everyday becomes a huge thing out future self will be thankful for.

This is as much a reminder to my future self as it is a note to encourage others in my situation. My partner and I decluttered SO much this spring in preparation for our recent downsize move to a higher cost of living area, and it’s been amazing. My brand of ADHD makes it really hard for me to keep a space organized and clean, so in our larger space with more stuff, it took literal hours us to tidy enough to feel comfortable having someone over. I only had one friend who I allowed to come over on short notice, and even then it was a scramble. We never allowed overnight guests (even though we had room for them) unless it was a far in advance planned stay.

Our new apartment is much smaller, and I thought that would be really hard. But in so many ways it’s easier. It only takes 20 mins to get the apartment looking decent enough for someone to come by. I know we will naturally accumulate more things again over time, but in the current space there’s simply no way to have the amount of stuff we had before. For now, life feels much lighter without the constant fear of someone coming by on short notice, and that’s only one benefit. Eventually I’d like to be at a point where I can feel good with visitors given less than 20 mins notice, but dishes are always going to be my kryptonite.

So if you need some motivation on this journey, keep going! It’s worth it!

A local jewelry store was having a gold-and-silver resale event near me, so I took 15 minutes to go through my jewelry box and sell off all the items I rarely or never wear. Class rings (mine and my husband's), uncomfortable and tarnished earrings, necklaces and chains, cuffs and charm bracelets I received as gifts that really weren't my style, a watch I received for my HS graduation that no longer runs, and several antique brooches, pins, and rings I'd inherited from dead relatives. The store didn't take everything I brought in, since much of what I offered them turned out to be gold-plate or costume jewelry. (I took everything they rejected to Goodwill on the way home.) But I still made over $250 for less than 15 minutes worth of decluttering. It's fun to be rewarded for a long-overdue cleanout!

I moved back in with my parents to save money and help them around the house, with their bills, etc. but now my stuff is in every room of the house. My bedroom feels suffocating. I have over a dozen large plastic totes with my things in it that are stacked in our storage room. Aside from renting a storage unit (which I plan to do after I return from a vacation next week), what can I do to realistically downsize and declutter my space? My parents are getting frustrated with me too because they see my stuff as taking over the house (which is fair tbh). I do plan to move out again within the next year, but in the meantime, any and all advice is welcome!

Our homeowners association has a neighbourhood yard sale. They provide maps of addresses of where the yard sales will be. This is the second year we are putting out a free pile by our house. Because people drive by to go to sales we will get plenty of traffic. I know I love getting things from a free pile (hence the need to declutter) and I'm hoping to make some folks happy with their finds. Whatever's left will be donated or tossed. So much better than having to attend our own yard sale all day and deal with pricing and labels and negotiating. Eight boxes and bags out of the house!

I've posted before about all the books I'm getting rid of (hopefully selling at our yard sale tomorrow, but whatever doesn't sell is getting donated) -- around 30 bags full now, so hundreds of books.

But ohmygod, I didn't realize how much OTHER stuff I had! Kitchenware, decor, knick-knacks, wall art, on and on and on. Since I have to move in a few months, I'm trying to get rid of all extraneous stuff (while keeping the stuff that I truly love/use and which truly matters to me). I knew I had long picked up stuff at the thrift because "I kinda like it", but there's sooooooo much of it! With my sister and her husband, we just took a packed full SUV and two full carloads of my stuff over to their house for the yard sale, and I'm not done yet -- I still have to go through the kitchen cabinets, which is what I will do shortly. And this is after I've been bringing bags full of stuff over there for the past few weeks! I literally have about 40 to 50 bags of stuff in their garage now, plus a couple of small pieces of furniture and a few musical instruments.

Seriously, it's overwhelming. Fingers crossed 🤞 the yard sale goes well, as the weather isn't great. We may have to do it again in a few weeks, too, we'll see. I've lived in this apartment for ten years, and I think it's just so easy to accumulate a shit-ton of stuff without really noticing or realizing it, because stuff ends up in cabinets and drawers, on shelves, in closets, etc., so you're not actually seeing it much of the time. I literally took off work today so that I could finish up with getting together all the stuff for the yard sale, and it has taken me all day!

So now I'm going to go cook a frozen pizza, and while it's cooking I'll go through the cabinets to grab more stuff for the yard sale. Then I'll eat some of the pizza, load up my car with the stuff, take a shower, and try to get to bed at a decent hour, as I have to be at my sister's around 7.30 or 8 am tomorrow for the yard sale.

Wish me luck, lol!

UPDATE: The yard sale went pretty well. 🙂 I had set my alarm for 6.30 am, but I woke up a few minutes before the alarm went off, to the sound of POURING rain -- yikes! I knew it was supposed to rain early in the morning, but it was coming down so hard that I thought the day would be ruined. I knew my sister planned to get up at 7am, so when it turned 7 I texted her to see what she thought -- my weather app said rain until 9, but then it would clear up, with maybe a bit of rain or another thunderstorm later in the day. I had made posterboard signs and hung them up around town the night before, and put "rain or shine" (because we had three canopies to cover the yard sale stuff), so my sister said that she though we should go ahead with the yard sale. Thankfully, the rain mostly stayed away once that first early morning burst was done -- we had a couple of sprinkles once or twice a couple of hours later, but barely anything, and no additional thunderstorm. The sun came out (it was hot, and humid, which is weather I HATE), and the sky was blue, for the rest of the day. 🙂

I'm so glad we did! About 80% - 90% of the stuff in the yard sale was mine, and it was a lot. My sister and her husband only sold one item, but I sold quite a few, and made about $75, with which I'm quite pleased. I didn't sell anything particularly expensive, but a few things for $15 - $20 and quite a few items from $1 to $10. One very nice older guy bought quite a few things, and when I mentioned that I still had some bags I had to unload from my trunk, he asked if it would be ok if he rummaged through that stuff, which was fine with me! He was very sweet, and I was happy to see some of my vintage items go to him. As for the books, I literally just gave them away, lol -- anyone who stopped by, I told them to take as many books as they wanted for free, because I clearly had entirely too many, lol. People loved it, and took a lot of books!

A few of the items I'm giving to people I know who have expressed interest (those items are in my sister's garage), and my brother-in-law's sister stopped by too -- she loves vintage items as I do, and I always end up giving her a bunch of vintage stuff when she stops by our yard sale, and this year was no exception. I know that she genuinely loves and will enjoy and respect the items, so I'm fine with giving them to her. Then the guy who lives down the street from my sister and who is retired but sells at flea markets pretty much every weekend stopped by -- whatever doesn't sell, we always give to him (have done for the past few years / yard sales). He took about 75% of what was left, including a lot of the vintage stuff. Whatever was left over -- which was still rather a lot of stuff! -- we put down by the curb in front of my sister's house, for people to take. Then I posted it as a curb alert on Craigslist, and my sister posted it on the local "Buy Nothing" group as well. A few people stopped by and took stuff, including one nice lady and her three adorable little girls.

Of the many hundreds of items I took over there to sell, only these 4 came back home with me: (1) a nearly new catcher's mitt and baseball which had belonged to my (deceased) husband -- I don't intend to keep this, but it's worth about $100, so I plan to list it for sale on Craigslist or elsewhere, (2) an autobiography signed by Clarence Clemons -- also worth at least $100, and I plan to list and sell it as well, (3) a mini handheld organ (musical instrument) of my husband's, kind of a fun little toy thing -- that I will keep, (4) a Scott Joplin album, also my husband's, which I will also keep.

So, not bad! I made $75, and between all the books plus all the other stuff, I unloaded (sold and gave away) about 600 to 700 items. 😁

I want to share with you all who understand! I just donated 25 (small😊) boxes of stuff. Such a relief to have that task finished! It's been months in the making. I can open the door to my living room and access my drawers. This feels like a huge step!

EDIT TO CLARIFY: I wonder if declutter is not the word I should be using ... the problem is that I'm moving a ton of things into new spots. When we moved into our house several years ago, we just sort of threw things into closets and never considered if they fit, if the flow made sense. So it's bigger than, like, I want to clean out my closet. It's like, why do we have sheets in three different places and some office supplies downstairs but others upstairs. "Whole home reorganization" maybe? Also, I really struggle to know where to put things if I can't see what I have and how much of it and where it'll fit and how to rank accessibility (what I need daily vs what I need once a year).

Original post: I'm about 25% of the way through a whole-home declutter. Since I don't always have tons of time to spend on this, I've broken it down into smaller projects, in neatly labeled boxes and bags with attached to-do lists. Making progress, woo-hoo! ... except even going room by room, now there are (organized) piles of stuff spread all over the house.

Any suggestions for what to do with these items when I have to set the overall project aside for a bit? (Wish I could take some time off to really focus on this, but I just can't right now.)

I'd like to avoid putting things away in closets or drawers when that's not their final home since I'll have to remove it all later anyway. And stacking everything is making more work when I do have time to get back to it.

Should I purchase some low-to-medium-priced shelving units to stack boxes/bins? If so, what should I do with them afterward? Other creative, low-cost/low-waste ideas? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Apologies ahead of time for the long post!

Hello everyone, I'd like to share part of my decluttering journey and some advice because I recently reached a big goal of mine! I've been decluttering for about a year and a half now and have gotten rid of A LOT of stuff, and after I started decluttering I began keeping a tally. It helped keep me motivated seeing my progress and I recently reached 5,000 items I've gotten rid of! I set the goal about a year ago and it seemed impossible then! It's probably a lot more than that because I didn't start tallying right away, I came up with the idea of tallying my progress about 6 months in. I'm just proud of myself and I thought I'd share part of my story here.

I'll admit that I have hoarding tendencies because of how sentimental I am, and while my apartment was never messy, it was always a struggle making it all fit into my 950 sqft one bedroom apartment. It was overwhelming and I knew I had a problem but didn't even know where to start or how to tackle it.

My decluttering journey began when I realized I had no space in my giant walk in closet. Two rods full of clothes on both sides, clothes stuffed in the built in shelf, bins of clothes on top of the shelf, and bins of clothes on the floor. I realized, I wear the same 7 outfits every week, why do I have so much? I spent 8 hours going through my closet, trying everything on. I got rid of anything that didn't fit, didn't feel right, or hadn't worn in a year. I got my closet down to 20 outfits! After that my mindset started to change with my other possessions too.

I reduced my 300 stuffed animals down to 30. I reduced my 3 bookshelves of books down to 1 bookshelf. I reduced my 50 posters down to about 12. I recently went through my holiday decor and reduced 4 large 160 liter storage containers under my bed to 5 small boxes. Well, decluttering begets decluttering and I got rid of the storage containers from under my bed, storage containers I used for my closet, 2 of my bookshelves because I don't have so many books anymore, got rid of hangers because I don't have so many clothes, etc. I can now fit everything I own in my new smaller 550 sqft apartment, and you know what? I've only regretted 2 of the items I've gotten rid of out of over 5,000! I've gotten rid of things I thought I'd never have the strength too, and I'm still not done! I went through again and have dozens more items I've decided I can live without that were hidden under the surface clutter.

So I have a message for you if you're struggling like I did getting rid of things, please be gentle with yourself! Change is hard even when we want it, and I realized that I wasn't just decluttering, I was unraveling 26 years of baggage that I've attached to my possessions. Getting rid of decades worth of stuff would be hard for anyone even without the emotional attachment, so don't beat yourself up! Maybe you don't have the strength to get rid of everything right now, and that's okay! I'm still struggling going through some sentimental stuff right now. You know what though? Me from 2 years ago could not have imagined where I am right now, so give it another few months. Be proud of what you've accomplished so far, go easy on yourself, and bit by bit you'll surprise yourself doing things you never thought you could.

I'll make a post soon about my "Official Tally System™" that helped me declutter so much!

I recently have inherited some photos of people who lived and died long before I was born. The photos are awesome. I have been scanning a lot of them with an app on my phone. I just don't know what to do with them? Put in an album? A scrapbook? Right now they're just being stored.

I feel like they only mean something to me right now and hopefully my future kids would want to see them.

I just feel bad because although the photos are really cool and I have been told who the people are I never met them so I don't feel as much of a connection. It's like looking at photos in a magazine, the only difference is I share genetics with them and do see resemblances.

Any suggestions??

Hey everyone. I was hoping to get some opinions from anyone in colder/4 season climates and rotating clothing.

I’m in the process of fine tuning the decluttering of my clothes and I’m wondering if I should have a box/bin that transitions from pring/summer (with shorts tanks etc) and then would house fall/winter (sweaters, warm pjs etc)

I have resisted the idea so far thinking it wasn’t helpful but now I’m wondering if having those bulky sweaters in my drawer when I know I won’t wear 90% of them isn’t helpful.

I’ve managed to get rid of a lot of clothes and pair down two dressers to one but now it’s getting a bit tight and i know there are some items I’ll declutter in there but not enough where I would be happy with it and I also wonder if I am now decluttering too much to fit everything the way I want it. We don’t have much storage and having temps ranging from -35 c to + 35 means lots of different types of clothes and winter clothes are bulky lol

Anyone doing a clothing rotation that works and doesn’t feel like additional clutter?

i feel massively guilty when i declutter. i feel so terrible throwing things out but i also feel very weird about donating them to thrift stores? i feel like there isn't an answer how to get rid of things in a way that feels like i'm not... just dumping trash. selling things is so much work and hardly ever pans out, and donating to goodwill results in things being massively uncharged and eventually thrown out. i feel even worse when it comes to gifts... i feel bad throwing out gifts because that person thought of me... and i feel like ... i'm not appreciating the gift?

sorry for the rambling... i'm looking for a way to lessen my guilt and anxiety.

This week's Friday 15 is sunscreen! Check your bottles of sunscreen and get rid of anything that's expired. (If it just expired, and you're toward the end of the container, it's no big deal to use it up. But if it's years out of date, it has lost its ability to protect your skin.) The FDA says sunscreen has to be "good" for three years, so if you can't find an expiration date on the container, use that as a benchmark.

While you're at it, get rid of any sunscreens that smell gross, have unpleasant textures, make your skin break out, or otherwise are things you avoid using. Do make sure you have a sunscreen that you like enough to use faithfully!

Tip of the hat to u/Hidd34kl, whose successful medicine cabinet clean-out inspired this Friday 15.

Share your wins in the comments!

The Friday 15 is a quick task that should take about 15 minutes. It's a different task every week, to shake things up.

How do i organize this? There are so many! Help!

I have been unconsciously having a scarcity mind set for years as well as just not wanting the best for myself. My depression returned so strongly in the last few weeks. I needed to get myself together.I'm slowly starting to really declutter my life. I have my small bedroom and I have a small storage unit. I got started on my bedroom. Yesterday I got two bags of clothes -one trash one for donation.

The trash clothes bag consisted of any items with grease stains,bleach spots,fixable damages plus items I haven't worn in a long time. I will not turn these into rags or use them for drying my hair. I will not use these as house clothes,gym clothes or sleeping clothes! I also had to remind my hoarder relative that these items aren't fit for donation and they are not meant to be brought back into the apartment to "look through"

The donation clothes I brought to my school headquarters for any fellows or staff to utilize. It was a mix of casual ,dressy and gym stuff. Stuff I can't fit into or things I won't be wearing anytime soon. A few pieces really loved but I know someone else can love them just as much as I did. But I'll love the peice of mind with the new space I have in my bedroom.

In addition to clothes being removed from my room,I tossed away various items like expired medicine,stationery,desk items etc.

It really feels good to start and I feel that I'll be consistent from now on.

I need help.

I cannot understand why there are such divisive lines between "cleaning", "organizing", and "decluttering". Does "dehoarding" even register as a separate category?

I can semi understand how "cleaning" can't happen until you've "decluttered", but I also would call any of these aforementioned labels "cleaning", cuz it involves moving and sorting (I'm sorry, I also would like to know what you call it if it's not "organizing", and "sorting" is a subset of "organizing"? Is there a chart tree of the appropriate usage of language, cuz all of this is really confusing and frustrating for me that I am wrong about everything and I don't understand why I am wrong).

I don't know how to seek, address, or support in any of these areas since they are so separate that I can't even talk about any of it without being told I am breaking some sort of rule, and I fundamentally do not understand how I am causing issues or how I can't talk about "cleaning" or "organizing" or even suggest methods or bins if they touch on something that is not "appropriate" for "decluttering". It's not just this group, but a variety of groups focused on "declutter" or "dehoarding". Frankly, I don't know how stressed people even get help in these areas when there are so many no no's in the support groups. I don't think I can ever reach out for help in these areas cuz now I can't even sort through how to find a place that will not tell me I am in the wrong place, even though I think it's all one big ball.

Every time I try to help in this area, because I genuinely just want to help people heal, I get in trouble or am not allowed to post. And on that note, where do I go/what keywords would allow me to find a place that would allow me to ask those affected how they would allow someone to help them and how I can even find people locally who would want help (not a "paid for service", unless they wanted to give, but just me helping people, cuz I know most cannot afford services, or don't trust services. So it's not me "selling" a service, I just am homeless and anyone who does have money they are ok with parting with would be helpful in my path to becoming housed).

Questions to ask yourself when decluttering.

Ok, I have been reading posts for a while now and trying to glean wisdom and things to motivate me in decluttering. If you are the person that said some of these things, thank you! I hope you don’t consider it plagiarism and don’t mind me passing it along. Please forgive paraphrasing. I made the notes for ME, but decided to share them in hopes of helping others.

I hope something said here resonates with you on your declutter journey. I am in the process of decluttering and it will be awhile before I am finished with my first pass.

I apologize that it is not well- organized, like with like. I have just been saving snippets on my phone in a file. Please pardon the typos.

Here goes: —————————- Did it serve its purpose? Does it serve a purpose now?

What’s the worst thing that could happen if I didn’t have this anymore?

Instead of “will I ever need this?”, Ask “can I live without this?”

Instead of “I might need this”, Think “have I needed this or used this in 2 years?” (Arbitrary time frame) If not, I don’t need it now; I don’t need to keep it. It’s time for a new home.

DON’T KEEP IT IF YOU DON’T LOVE IT

When you refuse to let go of trash to go to the landfill, your home has become the landfill. And we all deserve better than that.

Be ruthless with your stuff - play hardball with it. It’s playing hardball with you and ruining your life and screwing up your relationships and stealing your floor space and sanity and time and joy and breathing room.

If these items are not bringing you joy, donate the ones that you think may be useful to someone else and trash the rest.

Let go of your IDEAL SELF!!

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that there will be losses and more losses. You can’t keep every thing that someone you loved ever got you or everything they ever owned.

For an item that has a significant memory in your life, savor it one last time and tell it thank you for the joy it brought. Then get rid of it. The memory is the important part, not the thing.

Your loved ones wouldn’t want you to continue being overwhelmed and constantly saddened by their old possessions. Your relationship with someone is not held within an object. Not even within a house. Don’t let these things rule your life. Holding on is a crutch. It won’t bring anyone back and it won’t protect anyone. If we can learn to let go, we can live our best life right now. Your loved ones would have wanted you to live your best life. That’s the best tribute you can give them.

It’s either trash now or it’s trash when you die and someone else has to get rid of it.

Do I want to carry this into the next chapter of my life?

Once it’s gone, I won’t miss it. Its hold on me is over.

Remember, you can lose all the stuff without losing any of the love or the good memories they represent. Your home doesn’t have to be the designated eternal museum for all of the accumulated treasures that no one else in the family wants to keep but also doesn’t want to see thrown away.

It’s okay to get rid of your dead relatives old things. Their memories don’t live in their past possessions.

Your stuff shouldn’t own you.

Deep breath. Progress, not perfection.

It’s about progress not perfection because There is no perfection. Only change.

Throw away the guilty feelings - “I should…” “I was planning to …” “I spent money on this…”

Clutter is no good for mental health.

Think of your space as each square foot is money. Would you pay someone to store it for you? Reclaimed space is worth money. Think of how much money you would spend for the square footage you gain back. Also, you are clearing mental and emotional clutter.

Here’s what you get back immediately by donating: •Space in your closet (home) •That nagging voice in your head is gone •The time you spend mulling this over, you don’t get it back, but you also don’t spend more time on it!

No one sees the value of an item the way you do.

To help part with things: An imagined scenario - ASK “if I lost it in a tornado or a flood, would I still yearn for it?”

CHAOS = can’t have anyone over syndrome

I want the “No Fear When the Doorbell Rings” trophy

Go shopping in your own closet and drawers. Would you buy it?

I’ve got my use out of it. It is time for it to be used somewhere else by someone else.

Don’t keep clutter as a punishment for past mistakes.

Give yourself the gift of letting go. Give yourself permission to let go.

Think of it this way: How would you feel if all of your clutter suddenly disappeared?

Would you buy this item now if it were in a store?

Keeping things you don’t use isn’t going to save you money.

It isn’t wasted money if you learn from your mistakes. Think of it all as an educational expense.

Learn from what happened and make better decisions moving forward.

It’s a painful lesson but don’t live in the past.

Cleaning (or cleaning up) is an act of self-forgiveness

It is important to remember that items don’t represent the person or the memories you have with them

Sometimes a picture of the item is enough to help preserve the memory. Then get rid of the item.

Clutter is not just stuff on the floor. It’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living

As you let go of the excess you have the opportunity to decide what really matters.

Owning less means less stress. Less to clean, less to trip over.

Decluttering is also a powerful tool of self discovery. Who am I! Is this ME? Or someone I wanted to be? Or someone that others want me to be? A decluttered home leads to a decluttered heart, with space for all the unique things that make life worth living.

When decluttering Focus on your long term goals

The purpose of a gift is to be received. Once it has, its job is done, and it’s yours to keep or not keep.

The love for the person who gifted you with an item will not diminish without the item. You will not forget the person and what they mean to you due to its absence.

If you don’t use the item it is better off being donated so someone else can use it.

You “thank” the item for a job well done which was giving both you and the giver some joy when first received. Then you send it on to give someone else joy.

They (the giver) got the joy of giving. If keeping is not sparking joy, give it to someone who will get joy or use from the item(s).

My house is not a museum for other people’s belongings. I don’t need that to remember them by and someone else will benefit from it.

Accepting something that has been passed down in the family is not a contract to keep it.

You should prioritize what is important to YOU, and not what you should do based on other people’s expectations.

It’s absolutely okay to say goodbye to an item of quality and memory that no longer adds value to your life.

(Deceased relatives) They don’t give a damn if you kept it or not. They are no longer here to know if you got rid of it or not. If you get rid of it, you can’t hurt their feelings.

The first person who first owned it, bought it new. Great grandma gave herself permission to spend her money on something that reflected her taste. She lived with something she enjoyed. Give yourself the same permission. If you don’t enjoy it, it’s no shame on you or great grandma. It just means your tastes are different.

No one should be made miserable by their possessions. May it find a new home quickly!

The people are not in the things OR The stuff is not the people.

A great way to honor your loved ones is to let it go to someone who will love and use it.

I am using these ideas to reframe how I think and feel about “things”, to let go of the guilt and shame, to be able to let things go. It is still difficult.

Just an addition: Don’t laugh too hard, but I am going to pick 5 or 6 of the ones that really speak to me and print them on one sheet of paper, in large, bold print, in different colors for contrast and keep it in sight when I am decluttering to help me focus.

Dana K. White and her “Container Concept” explained. She has a lot of really awesome videos, but I found this concept to kind of summarize it all. https://youtu.be/_24PoIZSmVs?si=JRlTyuLTHZUYKj_c

“How To Match Your Wardrobe to Your Lifestyle”- definitely helps with decluttering clothes and closet items. https://youtu.be/arVVrJn7rss?si=HPR3qRdYbPkgdDoO

“53 Things You Need to Declutter Today” - super thorough and helpful suggestions about random household items that most people forget about. https://youtu.be/N0dkNZmPMLE?si=BOKfaTMXX4xvz86p

Tips for cleaning out your closet- so basic but crucial tips for shifting your mindset about holding onto clothes that you will not likely wear ever again. https://youtu.be/PsMIGFSxPpc?si=kMkbH8_R6pBKSQdJ

Please add some of your favorite videos or podcasts in the comments!

... spices. I love to cook, have and use lots, like to make my own blends. Some I burn through like you wouldn't believe (garlic powder, parsley flakes) and others sit there, victims of my good intentions.

Today I found a long-expired bottle of caraway seeds in the cupboard. During the pandemic I was going to bake lots of rye bread. Found out my husband hates rye bread and that I prefer store-bought. Composted those seeds!

Help, my partner spreads his items everywhere and I can’t breathe when I open the fridge. Having a French door fridge helped as I could stagger the shelves. It died. We bought a new freezer less model with full shelves and two bins. I need to implement some clever ideas to divide the shelves and door pocket shelves … any ideas? Otherwise I’ll have no space and opening the fridge will cause an anxiety attack. Yes, I would love his/hers kitchens! lol. He’s willing to learn a new system which is good. I don’t want to just alternate shelves as I think that will overwhelm the space. Thanks! Any stories of how you might have dealt with this issue would be welcomed.

EDIT! Thanks for your ideas! We got our new freezer-less fridge today for $850 by Element. I went shopping and picked up two packs of colored plastic grip cutting sheets and they absolutely fit perfectly to divide each of the shelves. I got the bins at Walmart and love them and I bought one long one for drinks until I get a pusher. The door shelves are nicely organized. I love this part of declutterring and cleaning. So soothing…ahhhh. AND he loves it! Digs the colors and the bins. Wishing us and all of you refrigerator harmony!