One of my goals this year is to simplify and one of the ways I plan to do that is to sell or donate at least 1,000 ordinary items that are crowding our closets and drawers by the end of July. My goal date is set for the end of July because my neighborhood has a big community yard sale every summer and while I don’t mind dropping stuff at the thrift store, I’d like to see if I could make a few bucks at the yard sale first.
Just when I think I don’t have any more dishes to purge…. I find more. This week I went through the sideboard for a second time and asked myself why on earth I need to keep hanging onto things I haven’t used in the last 2 years.
Seriously. Do we really need enough serving dishes to host 50 people anymore? The kids are out of high school and pasta parties and large gatherings are pretty much a thing of the past.
Having enough serving dishes for family gathering makes sense for this stage in our lives. So off to the yard sale pile the extras go. I’m sure someone else will be able to use what we no longer do.
What the heck? How did I acquire so many mismatched placemats?
The turkey baster I never use, 2 large salad grabbers, a pasta fork and a small dish. Those are head for the yard sale as well.
And this set of 3 serving dishes needs to be returned to Francisco’s sister in law. {Ooops!} 😉
Man oh man, I can’t wait to get this project done. Living with less clutter…. Is really starting to feel good.
How about YOU? Have you been purging this year? How’s it going?
~Mavis
Year to Date Totals
Donated: 20 items
Gave Back: 45
Recycled: 24 items
Tossed in the Garbage: 59 items
Yard Sale Pile: 447 items
So far this year I’ve purged 595 items. Only 405 more items to go.
See what else I’m getting rid of this year:
- Cleaning out the Closet
- Gift Bags, Binders, Glass Frogs and More
- Casserole Dishes and Pie Plates
- Dessert Plates, Crock Pots, Tablecloths and More
- Cookie Cutters, Pickle Forks, Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer and More
- Used Books
- DVD’s
- Rubber Stamps, a Soldering Iron, Seashells, Smencils and More
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suzanne says
My daughter is getting married so I’m in the process of collecting enough dishware, vases, ect. to serve about 100. We’ve having a lot of fun doing it but I can’t wait to get that stuff out of my basement.
Mavis says
I hear you–that’s kind of how I feel about my garage sale pile. I know it is going to be gone eventually, but right now it just seems like clutter.
Kathy says
Tupperware. 35 year old Tupperware that hasn’t been used in forever yet people keep passing on to me. Has to be at least 50 containers PLUS all the matching lids, in that tangerine color. All is in great, usable condition and I am sure someone can use it so it has been donated to the local community service center, who give to those in need. Also have been trying to figure out why I need 10 cans of every veggie imaginable when I have fresh in the freezer. None are expired, purged pantry and made a haul to local foodpantry. Turned old towels into lint-free rags for car care.
Since January, I have reduced, repurposed, recycled or donated close to 300 items just out of my kitchen, bathroom and linen closet! Next, it’s clothing.
TJD says
Kathy, please come to my house and take charge. I moved 12 years ago and still have unopened boxes in the garage! Some of it’s old paperwork but it needs to go! Granted I work full time but 12 years? I am waaaaaaay behind.
Tamara says
If it has really been twelve years and you haven’t begun, why not try The FlyLady’s way? Fifteen minutes a day of decluttering – three piles/bags: put away, give away, throw away. When the fifteen minutes is up, immediately take to the car the give away bag, to the trash the throw away bag and PUT away the keepers. For people who are highly organized and have much more energy than I, this will seem a ridiculous method BUT it works for the rest of us. If you work on it longer than 15 minutes, use her rule of never taking out more than you can deal with in an hour. This method works. And if you say, well that will take waay too long – well, you haven’t done any of it in 12 years, so why not try it? And you will have a sense of accomplishment! Baby steps can get you there! Best wishes!
Renay says
On the flip side, my girlfriend told me the 35 year old Tupperware is the good old stuff that doesn’t have all crappy Chinese plastic stuff in it….and I know it was made in USA! That stuff is golden….
Kathy says
It is! My mom used to freeze groundmeat in the 1 pound square rounds, they stacked so nicely in her chest freezer.
Carrie says
I would love to see how you are storing all of the things you set aside for your yard sale. I’ll set things aside for awhile thinking about a yardsale, but then it always get in the way. So I end up taking it to the thrift store.
Audrey says
I second that, Carrie!
Just moving the clutter from one place to another serves no purpose.
Donate it immediately and be done with it.
Mavis Butterfield says
We have a large hall closet where I have everything boxed up and ready to go as well as a few bins the in garage as well. I’ll try to remember to get a picture next week.
Brianna says
Our house has a linen closet outside of each bedroom. We have 4! One closet is completely devoted to stuff to get rid of. My rule is if it goes in the closet, it doesn’t come back out in the house. I go through it every other month and sell or donate the stuff. It is so much easier to get rid of stuff and declutter when you have a space to put it and manage it. I have little kids and kids meal toys drive me nuts. With 3 kids and 1 feeling guilty husband, we end up with enough to fill a large flat rate box every year.
Chris says
My wife and I committed to a challenge like this last year. We wanted to purge 1 thing a week. We (she) gave up after April. I started it up again this year after reading your thoughts and reading the Zero Waste Home. She’s mostly on board now.
We’ve used all the travel sized tubes of whatnot. Used or tossed old lotions. Re-purposed a number of old containers. Gotten rid of bedding, a printer, unused/unloved dishes, cords, plastic bags, canvas totes, shoes (I got rid of some and she got rid of some), books, old wine jugs.
We’ve got a ways to go, but I feel good every time we make a little progress. We now have 8 empty bathroom drawers between 2 bathrooms and a completely empty shelf. Eventually I hope we’ll move to a smaller place with a bigger yard once she sees how little we need.
Ashley says
Me too! Me too!!!
Lana says
You will be surprised how quickly your family will grow after the kids get married. We have gone from 7 to 16 so far. You may wish you had those white serving bowls as your family grows.
Connie says
I just took a big trunkful to Charity shop. Already have a small bag with 3 items in it. As you said, it is constant.