Resolution - Is anyone else decluttering?

[POOTERSMOMMY]

I made one resolution that I know I will keep. DECLUTTERING !!!!
Did anyone else make this resoltion this year?
We have lived in the same house 22 years, are avid garage sale book readers, and I am an avid crafter for 22 years. Lots of stuff

Really got started this week. So far, I went thru magazines that I rec. from SIL & MIL - took them to local nursing home. They were tickeled. So I called back to see if they had a library. Great news - they do. I have a large box of appropriate books to take them tomorrow. Got 1 1/2 months of newspappers and cardboard to take to recycle bin tomorrow. Got a set of 26 Time/Life books boxed to give to uncle. Have been going through old clothes to donate. Gave many of DH old warm work clothes to a friend who starts a new outdoor job next week.
Going through old coal chute room in bsmt. - Full of C**P. Lids with no pans, odd & end holiday stuff I don't use, misc. craft stuff I won't be using, etc. Going to donate.
Needless to say we have been pack rats in the past. I just think what would people think of all this stuff, if something happened to us. I remember how my Mom's house was!!
Going to work on closets and junk drawers next week. Then I will start on stuff I brought home from Mom's 6 years ago (haven't had the heart to yet). It's hard to get rid of stuff that she thought was important for more than 60- 70 years. Will keep some of the old newspaper (historical), some of the old recipes from newspapers, and all the pictures (will redistribute to appropriate branches of the family).
Lots done - but much more to do.

What have you been doing to declutter or downsize?

[FrugalMomof3]

I AM, I AM! I have been de-cluttering for the past couple days (after I get home an relax a bit). I am making my spare bedroom into my craft room and so far so good.

I already gave tons of stuff to the salvation army, thrown stuff away, given to Freecycle and I have tons more as well. It does feel great though!

How are you doing?

[KJayEsq]

I made that resolution too, though it came to a grinding halt about 2 weeks ago. I'm going to get back to it this next week.

[shoiji]

Have been decluttering for about the past six months. It has been a slow process at times letting go of stuff. But it does feel good to open a drawer or closet and being able to see everything.

Once all the weight is off, will be really going through the clothes!!!

[sweetlittle]

I've had a pretty good handle on the clutter in our house since we moved 2 times in two years. Now we have been in this house for 3 years and I know I have to give up more stuff. I just have a hard time with this because I think....maybe this or maybe that. Instead I'm goning to try to only keep what we will be sure to use and like.....At least I'm gonna try LOL!

[Luv2BeFrugal]

We've been decluttering a LOT!! I figured since we're moving next summer ('09) I'd better start NOW...boy was I right!! I've barely scratched the surface inside even though I've been workin' my butt off!! Where does it all come from?!?! I seriously didn't realize we had so much stuff!!

We've made a run to the rummage room (our Church's 2nd hand store) and donated there, given loads of stuff to friends and family (and our family's friends!). I've gone to the used book store twice to see if I can trade in books for credit (to be turned into gift certs for Christmas)...already earned quite a bunch of credit there!! I've been listing things on craigslist (22 already! Will do much more soon!) and sold a lot of it already...put the $150 I earned in the savings account...woo-hoo!! I gave all my old flight stuff to a friend who's just starting flight training. I *started* on the storage shed...I brought in 6 boxes and 3 bags of stuff (there is PLENTY more to go though ). I got all of that sorted...have enough to make another run to the rummage room. Should have enough to do another run to the used book store by the end of the week, too. I went through ALL of my craft/sewing stuff and some of it was given away and some was sold on craigslist...the rest is what I set aside to use to make Christmas gifts this year...already have all the sewing projects cut out and some of them underway! Making good progress, but there's just SO much more to go!!

This is a great thread...let's keep each other accountable to KEEP GOING on this!!

My friend is moving out of state next week and watching all she had to go through to get everything out of her house so she could move was traumatizing to say the least. I don't want to have to go through that when our move date comes!!

[forHISglory]

I am so with you! We've lived here about 30 years and we just kept collecting more stuff. Now we are getting the house fixed up for selling and moving, and OH MY!! I cleaned out 26 boxes last month of old papers! I'm still going thru boxes. I don't want to have to move all this stuff.

[Amanda W]

Decluttering is my big challenge for 2008. So far I've gone through the kitchen, my office, and the guest bedroom. It sort of makes me sick to see how much junk I have. I was going through the crock where I keep my kitchen tools, and I spent 10 minutes agonizing over which of the 5 whisks I should throw out. Then I realized how ridiculous it is to have an emotional attachment to a cooking utensil, and threw all but one out.

[tbs727]

I'm decluttering here too. I wouldn't really say that I have much "clutter", I'm really not a pack rat, but we do have things that we don't use or wear. I'm packing it all the the spare bedroom so that I can have a yard sale with a friend this spring when things warm up.

[teafortwo]

We're doing the decluttering thing too. Going through the kids clothes and toys and then going through each room. We have a community yard sale here every June, so most of the giant pile in the dining room will go there. Some to ebay and whatever doesn't sell will go to the local thrift stores. Honestly, we just did the yardsale last year. Where on earth does the stuff come from?! LOL! I'm amazed every year at the stuff we take out of our house.

[anna021]

I've been de-cluttering since the beginning of January. Started in the kitchen with the cabinets. One at at time, couldn't believe the things that were old, out-dated food, and lids to nothing. Do you find a kind of calmness or clearing of the mind happens with the more you get rid of? I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but for me its a weight lifted of my shoulders. So nice to open a door and not have stuff fall out at you. Now, when I bring groceries home theres no hassle on where to fit it.And of course the biggest thing, I've finally learned after all these years to think twice, maybe three times before bringing anything into the house. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks. LOL.