When you get old. :(

[marlinspike]

I helped a friend of my fathers go through simplification, as his years were climbing and had a bit of a health scare. He went mad and sold loads of stuff, stuff hed never use again. ....Became obsessed with simple.

I think this is what they call Swedish Death Cleaning. You clear out your junk and sort your finances and papers so that everything is easy for your kids to manage. My dad was an accidental minimalist, as in too tight to buy much, but he sensibly moved all his savings into one place and got his affairs in order so when the time came there was little in the way of house clearing or finances to be done.

In laws were a different matter. So many books, dvds, videos, paperwork. It took months. It has made me look at my own clutter in an entirely different way - I realise it's all just stuff and nobody wants 99% of your crap. Clear it now - enjoy the items that really matter to you and later the kids will know what was precious and meant something rather than trying to work out what you loved or what was just there because you hadn't got round to chucking it.

 

[ukracer]

I think this is what they call Swedish Death Cleaning. You clear out your junk and sort your finances and papers so that everything is easy for your kids to manage. My dad was an accidental minimalist, as in too tight to buy much, but he sensibly moved all his savings into one place and got his affairs in order so when the time came there was little in the way of house clearing or finances to be done.

In laws were a different matter. So many books, dvds, videos, paperwork. It took months. It has made me look at my own clutter in an entirely different way - I realise it's all just stuff and nobody wants 99% of your crap. Clear it now - enjoy the items that really matter to you and later the kids will know what was precious and meant something rather than trying to work out what you loved or what was just there because you hadn't got round to chucking it.

This is one reason I want to clean out the crap so my son does not get a massive job....but the more I try the more I get stressed....

 

[arther dailey]

This is one reason I want to clean out the crap so my son does not get a massive job....but the more I try the more I get stressed....

whats stressfull about getting rid of clutter , consider this it makes much more space , less cleaning and some monies to buy something you would actually make use of . win win win win

 

[addjunkie]

I think this is what they call Swedish Death Cleaning. You clear out your junk and sort your finances and papers so that everything is easy for your kids to manage. My dad was an accidental minimalist, as in too tight to buy much, but he sensibly moved all his savings into one place and got his affairs in order so when the time came there was little in the way of house clearing or finances to be done.

In laws were a different matter. So many books, dvds, videos, paperwork. It took months. It has made me look at my own clutter in an entirely different way - I realise it's all just stuff and nobody wants 99% of your crap.

For the surviving folk an organised set of papers, finances, affairs, wishes etc is a really good idea as it reduces stress on grieving relatives. My Mrs and I are compiling the book, as the current version is a bit messy as its been updated, several times. Not going to turn all the investments into cash, but a list, no of units / shares etc with contacts and account numbers etc is the plan. All my man stuff will just move to the Son in Laws farm for the grandson, their workshop is bigger than mine anyway.

 

[ukracer]

whats stressfull about getting rid of clutter , consider this it makes much more space , less cleaning and some monies to buy something you would actually make use of . win win win win

Unless it affects you I guess you won't understand to be fair.

 

[addjunkie]

Unless it affects you I guess you won't understand to be fair.

De cluttering is a lifestyle choice, just like going to the gym, it isnt for everybody

 

[droopsnoot]

Speaking of wrapping paper - I've not bought any in years. It would appear the female of the species simply cannot consider using scissors on a sheet of paper . . . so some careful unwrapping of each gift . . and I have next years supply of wrapping paper

My parents used to very carefully remove wrapping paper from gifts, fold it up and then keep it "for next year", and put the idea into my head and my sister's head. What they didn't do, ever, is actually use any of it the next year. I don't know whether that's because they couldn't remember where they'd put it, or because the presents were never quite the right size and the old tape would be visible. To be fair to my Dad, he did start to say "just throw it out", but got some resistance from my Mum on that one. It's not as if the givers of the gifts would actually be coming round to check whether we'd dissed their choice of wrapping, just a habit. Found some the other day. And yes, I threw it out.

whats stressfull about getting rid of clutter , consider this it makes much more space , less cleaning and some monies to buy something you would actually make use of . win win win win

I think the stressful bit is getting to think of it as clutter. Once you've cracked that, I'm sure it's easy.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

What really helped me is sorting my stuff into labelled boxes...if I need glue or tape then it's in the glue or tape box...if it's not in those boxes then I need to buy some more.

Prior to this innovation there was glue and tape all over the place but I could never find it when I needed it.

Sadly the garage needs to be sorted out in the same way...and that's going to take quite a lot of effort I think.

 

[DanZac]

What really helped me is sorting my stuff into labelled boxes...if I need glue or tape then it's in the glue or tape box...if it's not in those boxes then I need to buy some more.

Prior to this innovation there was glue and tape all over the place but I could never find it when I needed it.

Sadly the garage needs to be sorted out in the same way...and that's going to take quite a lot of effort I think.

Your overthinking it, just take the same approach to the garage as the house. Collect up all the boxes of screws etc and empty them all into one big box of screws.

Do the same for the nuts, bolts, washers etc, and you'll only have 4 or 5 boxes with everything in, instead of loads of little box's.

Much easier to find what you want.

 

[marlinspike]

Decluttering is hard because it involves lots of decision making. There'll be things you are emotionally attached to (even for odd reasons), things you paid a lot for and think binning it is a waste, things you keep 'just in case' even though it would cost little to buy another one should the need arise. If you're someone who can detach yourself from things and just bin it all that's great but most people aren't. The thought of starting a big clear out knowing there are a thousand decisions to be made is very daunting for most people.

I find giving stuff to charity definitely helps me to part with stuff. I think a lot of it comes from a skint childhood though. We didn't have much so the thought of binning things that still work or might be useful at some point is difficult. You forget that a torch was a major purchase in 1972 and now they're £1.99 should you ever need a new one ...

 

[Seadog]

 

[MattF]

De cluttering is a lifestyle choice, just like going to the gym, it isnt for everybody

Too right. There are some of us who actually enjoy clutter. Going minimalist would be one of my ideas of hell.

 

[Nomad]

Too right. There are some of us who actually enjoy clutter. Going minimalist would be one of my ideas of hell.

A neighbor of my mothers was minimalist in the extreme. He lived in a flat with just an armchair, coffee table, and TV stand in the lounge. I furnish the same way in less than an hour when I move into a new house so I can sit down and eat food, and have my coffee / beer next to me. Minimalist or clutter is a psychological thing and everybody is different...

Back on topic, I had a phone call from a lady friend yesterday (just reached retirement age, very organised and alert, does a lot of online games to stay mentally sharp). I was doing some work fitting a wall safe at hers last month. Since then she has been away on holiday for a couple of weeks and just got back. She rang me to say she can't find a small jewelry box that is normally in the safe. Could I look to see if it's in my toolbox? The safe was empty when I fitted it and I used her tools so didn't have my toolbox.
We had a chat, she thinks she maybe put it "somewhere safe" before she went on holiday but can't remember where...
I'm sure it'll turn up somewhere daft at some point

 

[droopsnoot]

What really helped me is sorting my stuff into labelled boxes...if I need glue or tape then it's in the glue or tape box...if it's not in those boxes then I need to buy some more.

Yes. I'm gradually going through all the little boxes and tins of stuff my Dad kept because they'd be useful, and every box has a massive range of different things in it - screws, bolts, cable clips, springs, random stuff. I remember saying to him once that while I'm sure he's got the screws I was looking for, it'd be quicker to drive to B&Q and buy some than for him to dig through all the boxes and tins to find the ones he already has. I've been keeping margarine tubs ready for the ultimate sort-out, but I've started off with just splitting bolts from screws from cable clips, then ultimately intend to split by size when I found that much sought-after commodity, spare time.

Decluttering is hard because it involves lots of decision making. There'll be things you are emotionally attached to (even for odd reasons), things you paid a lot for and think binning it is a waste, things you keep 'just in case' even though it would cost little to buy another one should the need arise.

Indeed, and a lot of the stuff I'm trying to get rid of is stuff my parents kept, so I've got that nagging thought of someone else having paid for them, and would be talking about waste if I don't at least try to do something other than bin them.

I find giving stuff to charity definitely helps me to part with stuff. I think a lot of it comes from a skint childhood though. We didn't have much so the thought of binning things that still work or might be useful at some point is difficult. You forget that a torch was a major purchase in 1972 and now they're £1.99 should you ever need a new one ...

Yes, same here, and the various Free-Stuff groups on Facebook, though that can be a fiddle in it's own right. We weren't completely skint, but there wasn't lots of spare money and the parents were born just before WW2 so had the "don't waste" instinct drummed into them.

 

[Robotstar5]

Yes. I'm gradually going through all the little boxes and tins of stuff my Dad kept because they'd be useful, and every box has a massive range of different things in it - screws, bolts, cable clips, springs, random stuff. I remember saying to him once that while I'm sure he's got the screws I was looking for, it'd be quicker to drive to B&Q and buy some than for him to dig through all the boxes and tins to find the ones he already has. I've been keeping margarine tubs ready for the ultimate sort-out, but I've started off with just splitting bolts from screws from cable clips, then ultimately intend to split by size when I found that much sought-after commodity, spare time.

I had to chuck a load of useful stuff when we moved house in the 80's, my dad had jam jars full of imperial slotted screws, nuts, bolts etc. all carefully sorted, he'd even put oil in the jars to stop them going rusty, but there's a limit to what I could keep when moving into a house half the size

 

[droopsnoot]

^ Yes, my margarine tub plan is great on the face of it, but I still haven't figured out where the pile of tubs is going to sit.

I had a situation the other week where I removed a shelf support from a plasterboard wall and the end of one of the spring toggles came off and fell into the cavity, so I need another one. No problem, I thought, I've sorted all the wall fixing and they're in a tub in the garage. Found it (after a short search) and found that all the ones I've got are far too short. Off to Toolstation where I have to buy a pack of ten even though I only want one*, so having first checked with a mate who has similar piles of tubs of things I went a bought a pack. Did the job, used the one spring toggle, and now the other nine won't fit in the tub with the stuff that's already in it. So now I have to sub-divide that into two tubs, one for Rawlbolt-style ones, and the other for plasterboard ones.

This is why I haven't labelled any of the tubs - I'll wait until I've finished the sorting so I don't have to cross out and re-label. If we're making them neat, we're doing it properly.

( * I have since found that B&Q do packs of four, so less wastage, but at almost the same price, so less economical)

 

[ukracer]

What really helped me is sorting my stuff into labelled boxes...if I need glue or tape then it's in the glue or tape box...if it's not in those boxes then I need to buy some more.

Prior to this innovation there was glue and tape all over the place but I could never find it when I needed it.

Sadly the garage needs to be sorted out in the same way...and that's going to take quite a lot of effort I think.

THAT is identical to me. I have started to box and label things. But my workshop needs the same treatment and the canopy outside needs the crates on wheeled dollies sorting and labelling.
But the weather is against me.

 

[ukracer]

Decluttering is hard because it involves lots of decision making. There'll be things you are emotionally attached to (even for odd reasons), things you paid a lot for and think binning it is a waste, things you keep 'just in case' even though it would cost little to buy another one should the need arise. If you're someone who can detach yourself from things and just bin it all that's great but most people aren't. The thought of starting a big clear out knowing there are a thousand decisions to be made is very daunting for most people.

I find giving stuff to charity definitely helps me to part with stuff. I think a lot of it comes from a skint childhood though. We didn't have much so the thought of binning things that still work or might be useful at some point is difficult. You forget that a torch was a major purchase in 1972 and now they're £1.99 should you ever need a new one ...

That's a fantastic post. I can relate to all of that.

"Value" is what I struggle with.10 years of RC racing without selling much leaves you with half a model shop. But very little of much value.

 

[ukracer]

Yes. I'm gradually going through all the little boxes and tins of stuff my Dad kept because they'd be useful, and every box has a massive range of different things in it - screws, bolts, cable clips, springs, random stuff. I remember saying to him once that while I'm sure he's got the screws I was looking for, it'd be quicker to drive to B&Q and buy some than for him to dig through all the boxes and tins to find the ones he already has. I've been keeping margarine tubs ready for the ultimate sort-out, but I've started off with just splitting bolts from screws from cable clips, then ultimately intend to split by size when I found that much sought-after commodity, spare time.



Indeed, and a lot of the stuff I'm trying to get rid of is stuff my parents kept, so I've got that nagging thought of someone else having paid for them, and would be talking about waste if I don't at least try to do something other than bin them.



Yes, same here, and the various Free-Stuff groups on Facebook, though that can be a fiddle in it's own right. We weren't completely skint, but there wasn't lots of spare money and the parents were born just before WW2 so had the "don't waste" instinct drummed into them.

Oh how I relate to that...wasting food is so hard for me as well.

Just one example I also have is my sons brother in law moved out of their rented house to go back home. He had loads to get rid of. A bed headboard ended up being left at my sons house. Supposed to be destined for the tip. I saw it and said sell that on Facebook. I was told "you sell it then"
So I have tried. Started it at 15 now down to £10 and going on the free sites if it here after the weekend.

 

[bricol]

I had to empty my mums house to sell it to pay for her care fees.
I started off by taking a load of stuff home. Then to auction. Some sold for a few quid. Some didn't so I had to go get it. I reckon I spent 50 quid in fuel to get £2.50 back.

The rest - if the charity chop or whoever claimed they wanted it, didn't come for it, it went to the tip. Angst up to the point of it leaving my hand and heading into the skip. I'm sure a lot of it cost a good few quid in the 50's through to the 80's . . but now it's worth less than the fuel required to take it anywhere, so cheapest option wins.

I'm now applying the same theory to my own stuff. Apart from my cars. Or tapes. Or CDs. Or girlfriends . . .