Destash 2019 Time to Trash the Stash!

[jaybirdsmommy]

there have been articles about how even before the big decluttering trend many of the goodwill/salvation army type places were refusing donations b/c of the massive amounts they were getting from boomers downsizing. items that traditionally people would pass down to their family members apparently hold no appeal to many younger people these days so much of it is ending up going to charities. i went into a charity store the other day and was amazed at how much crystal, china and NICE solid wood furniture was available-and it's going for cheap b/c they have a warehouse stuffed to the brim.

We have one thrift here that turns their noses up at stuff, but they've been like that for years. All the others happily take whatever you give them. I wish stuff was priced cheap here. The picky thrift store would have that nice china going for $200/set, the crystal would be $10/piece, and you could buy new furniture for what they charge. The others aren't much better.

I have no idea what we will do with the stuff in my Mother's house when she passes (hopefully no time soon). She has 2 sets of her own china and at least one set belonging to each of my Grandmothers. I have 2 sets from one grandmother myself (both grandmothers were dish hoarders, she bought them with grocery store stamps). There are also 3 sets of crystal and 3 sets of silver plus the one that my grandmother bought for me when I was born. All of my grandparents died within a 3 month period of each other. My parents moved their stuff and a lot of my maternal grandmothers stuff into my paternal grandparents already overflowing house. You literally cannot walk through parts of that house and I have nightmares about the basement. There's just me and my brother, I know he doesn't want any of it. There are some pieces I'd love to have, but I really don't have any room for it.

As for Marie Kondo, I love the idea of her method but a friend tried it and my greatest fear came true. She piled all her clothes out onto her bed, then ended up sleeping on the couch for a month because she got overwhelmed by the pile and just couldn't deal with it. My brain would look at a big pile of whatever and just say "nope" and that would be that. Also, like the other poster said, some days if I got rid of everything that didn't bring joy, I'd have nothing left but the coffee pot, my PJs, and a few bottles of adult beverage.

 

[Superchikk]

We have one thrift here that turns their noses up at stuff, but they've been like that for years. All the others happily take whatever you give them. I wish stuff was priced cheap here. The picky thrift store would have that nice china going for $200/set, the crystal would be $10/piece, and you could buy new furniture for what they charge. The others aren't much better.

I have no idea what we will do with the stuff in my Mother's house when she passes (hopefully no time soon). She has 2 sets of her own china and at least one set belonging to each of my Grandmothers. I have 2 sets from one grandmother myself (both grandmothers were dish hoarders, she bought them with grocery store stamps). There are also 3 sets of crystal and 3 sets of silver plus the one that my grandmother bought for me when I was born. All of my grandparents died within a 3 month period of each other. My parents moved their stuff and a lot of my maternal grandmothers stuff into my paternal grandparents already overflowing house. You literally cannot walk through parts of that house and I have nightmares about the basement. There's just me and my brother, I know he doesn't want any of it. There are some pieces I'd love to have, but I really don't have any room for it.

As for Marie Kondo, I love the idea of her method but a friend tried it and my greatest fear came true. She piled all her clothes out onto her bed, then ended up sleeping on the couch for a month because she got overwhelmed by the pile and just couldn't deal with it. My brain would look at a big pile of whatever and just say "nope" and that would be that. Also, like the other poster said, some days if I got rid of everything that didn't bring joy, I'd have nothing left but the coffee pot, my PJs, and a few bottles of adult beverage.

I know it's terrible, but my siblings and I (7 of us altogether) joke about who HAS to clean out the shed, barn, and attic when Mom & Dad are gone. My parents joke about it, too - they know. Mom "owns" the attic, so things are neat and organized. Dad has so much "useful" stuff crammed into the shed and barn that it would take a month of Sundays to go through it all. And to his credit, he does find a way to use things or repurpose a lot... or has enough materials lying around for a project that needs to be done. But it's still a running joke in the family. Late to family dinner & make us all wait? You get the barn! My parents are good-natured about it, and they're not emotionally attached to their things. My sisters and I each have an item or two that we'd like to have, and the rest can GO.

I just can't with Marie Kondo. I know people have way too much stuff - me included. But I can't live my life thanking items for their usefulness before I throw them out or only keep things that spark joy. I HAVE severely pared things down in some categories before, and I'm fine with doing that. But the whole sparking joy thing... no. And as a homeschool mom with kids 3 grades apart, I have to have WAY more books in my home than 30. It's more like 30 per shelf.

 

[comicguy]

I roller chain - to school robotics club
2 sprockets - to school robotics club
3 Download cables - to school robotics club
1 book - donated



7 items left the house

147 of 500 or 29.4% of goal

 

[yeahdisney]

Today I decided to thaw out the upright freezer. The drain hose freezes periodically and then it can’t drain. I have been trying to get the food out of it to make it easier and then I’m going to empty the chest one and unplug it. August we will be empty nesters, we don’t need 2 fridges and 2 freezers for two of us!
After I combined them, I decluttered the pantry again.
DS was going to volunteer in town so I had him take the recycles and clothes that DD laid out to the clothes box - so I did a quick job looking through DS closet and took out 3 groceries bags worth of cloths -he still has a ton. I sorted out my closet, tried to be brutal and I did my dresser. I threw out 2 pairs of slippers from under the bed. And I pitched some stuff from the bathroom and one junk drawer.
When the kids leave I’m going to work in the basement and arrange it for a cozy place to hang. There is a ton down there.

 

[barkley]

a&e is running new episodes of hoarders-2 hours long each!

BEST INCENTIVE to destash ever!

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Adding more items to my list

Gave Away
Protein powder
Shot glass

Tossed
2 bags of misc garbage from office closet
Cup
2 can koozies
Battery charger
4 LAN cords
Network switch
Basket
Wreath
Candle
Pillow
Shower curtain
6 misc toiletries I didn't like
4 hair accessories

Donated
3 board games
Backpack


32 more items left the house.
Total of 82 total items left the house. Goal of 400 this year, 318 to go.

 

[yeahdisney]

Today I finished transferring food back to the stand up freezer and I emptied the chest freezer and pitched stuff I thought was old. And it will be kept empty.

 

[christineinvegas]

It's been awhile since I posted last. I've been going crazy for the first consignment sale of the season and now gearing up for a yard sale!

Sold 310 items at the consignment sale. Every shoe and book sold. Yay!
Threw away probably over 100 clothing items that the stains wouldn't come out of

Organized the garage and recycled some stuff and added more to the yard sale pile. Currently going through the house for the yard sale, which is scheduled for April 27. We have spring break in the interim, so it doesn't leave me much time- only nights. Most of what will be in the yard sale is baby/kid stuff. I have saved everything from my daughter and she is almost 9! I am going to try to sell the big items & toys at the yard sale for hopefully more than I would make at the consignment sale. If I can't get it sold before mid-May, it will go in that consignment sale.

The proceeds from selling all of this is going into my vacation fund, which is $1200 short for the year. (Now only $600 because of the 1st consignment sale profits)

 

[OhMari]

It's been awhile since I posted last. I've been going crazy for the first consignment sale of the season and now gearing up for a yard sale!

Sold 310 items at the consignment sale. Every shoe and book sold. Yay!
Threw away probably over 100 clothing items that the stains wouldn't come out of

Organized the garage and recycled some stuff and added more to the yard sale pile. Currently going through the house for the yard sale, which is scheduled for April 27. We have spring break in the interim, so it doesn't leave me much time- only nights. Most of what will be in the yard sale is baby/kid stuff. I have saved everything from my daughter and she is almost 9! I am going to try to sell the big items & toys at the yard sale for hopefully more than I would make at the consignment sale. If I can't get it sold before mid-May, it will go in that consignment sale.

The proceeds from selling all of this is going into my vacation fund, which is $1200 short for the year. (Now only $600 because of the 1st consignment sale profits)

I am a fairly new grandmother and I cannot believe the price of toys. I had my first Rummage Sale last year and I had a niece bring over a ton of really nice riding toys, slides, fisher price, etc. It was all gone in the first 20 minutes. Good luck with your sale. By the afternoon I lowered prices and begged or bargained with people to take items. One guy took a silverwear set, the type you have to polish. I know I lost big time on it, but it meant nothing to me, since some distance relative gave it to my mom and my mom pawned it off on me.

 

[OhMari]

75/2019

Finally put the winter clothes in storage. I refuse to wear any more sweaters.
I ended up throwing away 5 dingy white to-shirts.
The dog was watching me and started heaving and I caught what he had to throw up and threw away another shirt. Sorry if that was TMI.

I posted how I started on one end of my clothes rack and wore what was on the end. Well let’s say a lot went into the donation bag. I got out my summer clothes and a lot went in the donation bag too.

I have a lot of gym clothes and I am finally loosing weight, at class the other day, my bottoms fell down to my knees. I caught them and luckily one of my friends had a big safety pin so the day as saved. Those spandex went into the garbage too.

I could cheat on how many diapers we put in the garbage. I could go through 3 diapers in one changing. I forgot how often babies poop. I got pretty good counting 3 explosions before I would change her. This was all in a 10 minute span.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

My success for the week: The Christmas decorations are back in the attic!!!!!!!! yes, it took me until April 4. I was this close to sticking plastic eggs on the tree and calling it an Easter tree.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

My success for the week: The Christmas decorations are back in the attic!!!!!!!! yes, it took me until April 4. I was this close to sticking plastic eggs on the tree and calling it an Easter tree.

I knew a woman who still had her tree up in JULY!!!! And they got a call that out of town guests were coming and she was stressed. But they left it up !

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I knew a woman who still had her tree up in JULY!!!! And they got a call that out of town guests were coming and she was stressed. But they left it up !

I hope she wrapped it in some red, white, and blue ribbon. It could have been a 4th of July tree!


I once bought a calculator off Facebook marketplace. The lady gave me her home address to come pick it up. When I got there, I noticed there was a Christmas wreath on the front door. When her husband opened the door, you could see that the house was entirely decorated for christmas.....in August. I didn't want to be rude and ask but I still wonder if they were just really early or really late with the decorations.

 

[barkley]

i went through our spare room closet (dd's old bedroom). it's where all the non day to day clothes live. ended up weeding out allot of my old work suits, and a bunch of extra bowling type shirts of dh's. dd wants the dad's old shirts so they've got a home, the suits can go to goodwill but i wish i could find some charity or organization that could use a wealth of brand new never used tote bags. it seemed like when we used to go on cruises they would always put a tote bag for each passenger in the room (some VERY nice-like the old disney cruiseline ones w/multiple zippered pockets and such)-i've got 4 of everything that we will just never use. anyone know of charities that use these?

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

i went through our spare room closet (dd's old bedroom). it's where all the non day to day clothes live. ended up weeding out allot of my old work suits, and a bunch of extra bowling type shirts of dh's. dd wants the dad's old shirts so they've got a home, the suits can go to goodwill but i wish i could find some charity or organization that could use a wealth of brand new never used tote bags. it seemed like when we used to go on cruises they would always put a tote bag for each passenger in the room (some VERY nice-like the old disney cruiseline ones w/multiple zippered pockets and such)-i've got 4 of everything that we will just never use. anyone know of charities that use these?

Check with women's shelters or maybe if you have an organization that serves foster children. They might want them as many of their residents show up with nothing but the clothes on their back.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I hope she wrapped it in some red, white, and blue ribbon. It could have been a 4th of July tree!


I once bought a calculator off Facebook marketplace. The lady gave me her home address to come pick it up. When I got there, I noticed there was a Christmas wreath on the front door. When her husband opened the door, you could see that the house was entirely decorated for christmas.....in August. I didn't want to be rude and ask but I still wonder if they were just really early or really late with the decorations.

I’ve heard of military families leaving up Christmas decor until their service member gets home. Maybe it was that?

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I’ve heard of military families leaving up Christmas decor until their service member gets home. Maybe it was that?

Could have been, but they were Chinese and spoke very little english so I doubt it. I think it was more a matter of them liking the decorations and not realizing they were supposed to take them down or maybe decorating for family that was visiting so they could experience it. It was a beautiful house and beautiful decorations so who knows.

 

[pblack]

i went through our spare room closet (dd's old bedroom). it's where all the non day to day clothes live. ended up weeding out allot of my old work suits, and a bunch of extra bowling type shirts of dh's. dd wants the dad's old shirts so they've got a home, the suits can go to goodwill but i wish i could find some charity or organization that could use a wealth of brand new never used tote bags. it seemed like when we used to go on cruises they would always put a tote bag for each passenger in the room (some VERY nice-like the old disney cruiseline ones w/multiple zippered pockets and such)-i've got 4 of everything that we will just never use. anyone know of charities that use these?

I'd also suggest checking with places that serve foster children, food banks, or homeless shelters.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I haven't posted here in such a long time but today was Electronic Waste recycling for our town
ds3 helped gather up our collection so we said good bye to:
2 tv's
3 printers
1 computer monitor
1 answering/phone/fax machine

 

[comicguy]

Been a bit slow on the destashing front as of late, lots of stuff happening; winding up the robotics season, getting ready for and chaperoning a 24 hour 3D printing competition.
Anyway trying to get back on track this week.

2 packages of paper plates - used up for an event
1 bag of plastic ware - used up for an event
1 pair of sneakers - trashed
1 book - donated
4 plastic tray covers



9 items left the house

156 of 500 or 32.2% of goal