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Reducing clutter

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  1. arlsmom

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    arlsmom

    This is one of my least favorite things to do around the house...the past two days and the rest of the weekend we are reducing our clutter...going room by room to get rid of the things that we have hung onto that we really don't need. So far I have done my oldest dd's room and all but the closet in my youngest dd's room...I got most of the family room done last night...now I'm onto the dining room...dh is out buying a new smaller desk for oldest dd's room so we can get the big roll-top one out of the dining room and reclaim that space...

    Man...I am glad we don't have to do this very often...

    So...what do you do to reduce the clutter more frequently to help me avoid this big project????? Any good tip?

    Posted 6 months ago #

  2. marcibun

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    marcibun

    Stop buying stuff!

    Posted 6 months ago #

  3. arlsmom

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    arlsmom

    Okay...you have two girls and a dh too....is that really possible???

    Posted 6 months ago #

  4. Kyivscrapper

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    I moved! lol Before we came to Italy we had too much stuff and a much too small of a house! When we moved we had to put all but 11 suitcases and 100 lbs into storage. It's been a fresh start over here - bigger house and MUCH less stuff! I LOVE IT!!! My goal is to keep it this way and to somehow find a way to carry it over when we move back. I do really resist buying stuff. I've always known I can get by with much less, but being here has really taught me that my children can too! (And they're VERY happy about it - DS has only asked for ONE toy that is in storage in 5 months!)

    Posted 6 months ago #

  5. Sherry

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    Sherry

    Lynda, good for you! That's a job that I think everyone hates. It's so easy to gather stuff; then we have clutter and storage issues. You could try the something in, something out idea where you are only replacing things and not adding to. I've given myself permission to throw things away -- like scraps of paper.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  6. dwhkah

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    dwhkah

    I have a big house but very little storage---so it is necessary for us to go through the "stuff" every single month practically or we get overwhelmed! I encourage my kids to purge by bribing them with a trip to the thrift store for toys.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  7. marcibun

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    marcibun

    Actually, we do a "goodwill" purge every couple of months - I donate the girls clothes, any household items, etc that we no longer fit or we haven't used for the past 6 months. The annual citywide clean up helps too - once a year the city picks up your household throw aways so we always get rid of stuff then too. We just had one a few weeks ago so we're good for another few months. Now my craft room - that's another story!

    Posted 6 months ago #

  8. dwhkah

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    dwhkah

    Marci--we have that too! I love that free garbage day!

    Posted 6 months ago #

  9. Sherry

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    Sherry

    We don't get a free garbage day ... and the dump charges by the pound!

    Posted 6 months ago #

  10. marcibun

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    marcibun

    What? That's crazy! We always had the free garbage day up in Canada too. Now in all fairness, most of the stuff we put out ends up getting picked up by "scavengers" before the actual garbage people come to collect it. We put out some really good stuff this year so by the time the garbage truck came all that was left was our actual garbage.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  11. Sherry

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    Sherry

    Well... we have been known to set something out at a busy street with a free sign on it! I call that reuse!

    Posted 6 months ago #

  12. Daisymeh

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    Moving helped me! But from now on, I think I am going to adopt and new rule. When I purchase something new and old item goes. Like last week, I got three pairs of new shoes, and took three old pairs that I hardly wear to Goodwill.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  13. Sherry

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    Sherry

    That sounds like a great plan.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  14. kehlers

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    kehlers

    We just deal with things as we come across them on a day to day basis. We have a closet that is the 'giveaway' closet. So, if it's not good enough to give away, it goes in the trash, if it is good enough, we put it in the giveaway closet. Every now and then, we take a load to the thrift store.

    Posted 6 months ago #

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