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LOL And guess what I did today! I played hookey! A friend came over, we went out to lunch and then shopping. This stuff will still be here tomorrow to sort!
When moving I have found that it helps to get as much of the stuff I am not taking out of the house as soon as possible. Whatever room I start with, I go thru everything. There and then I decide what is making the move and what is not. Everything that is not making the move gets bagged up and set aside. Once I have gone thru every room, I take all of the stuff that is not going and haul it to the dump, goodwill, or wherever.
While it is nice helping out others by giving stuff to goodwill or to make a little money on the side by having a yard sale, if I find myself short on time, everything in the not making the move pile goes to the dump.
MaryleeII, this is a great thread. I love the responses you've had so far and I find your sense of humor on the issue funny. I too have often thought about what would happen if I just shoveled it all into boxes without looking too closely at the items.
NY Annie, great ideas. I have done a very similar listings on our boxes in the past and I appreciate the number (priority) system. It is a tip that I am going to now use. I also tended to list the contents on the box. I like the idea of keeping that on a separate listing as well.
I tried something in my closet and if it helps someone ... then great. After taking each item out, only to sort some and then put away more than I should, I found a new system (that works better for me). I cleared enough of an area (about 1/4 of the closet) so that as I wore, washed and put away an item I put it in this empty area. Once that was filled, it was so much easier to see what I wasn't even using...I was able to pitch and donate more...got another large area empty and repeated the process. The result was that after a month or two I now have the items I will and have used for fall/winter sorted and now stored in boxes. I am doing the same thing now that we're into very warm weather here. I should have that all sorted by the end of the month and once we're ready to move, it really won't take much to pack. Honestly, at the end of the day, I was surprised by how little I actually need and wear consistently.
Can't wait to see how many more great responses you get. I've gotten great ideas and a few good laughs out of this thread so far.
We plan on moving again, too, soon. (Where/when/how?) so I have begun to donate all my son's old clothes. I am tired of hoarding things (I have gotten much better, thank you).
Yesterday my husband brought a big box to the thrift store. I will keep throwing out papers and junk as anticipation of moving.
My son's room is the biggest bunch of *junk*....slowly I am getting rid of things he can't need or keep...(future hoarder here..).
Getting and keeping on top of 'the paper trail' is the worst part.
I tried something in my closet and if it helps someone ... then great. After taking each item out, only to sort some and then put away more than I should, I found a new system (that works better for me). I cleared enough of an area (about 1/4 of the closet) so that as I wore, washed and put away an item I put it in this empty area. Once that was filled, it was so much easier to see what I wasn't even using...I was able to pitch and donate more...got another large area empty and repeated the process. The result was that after a month or two I now have the items I will and have used for fall/winter sorted and now stored in boxes. I am doing the same thing now that we're into very warm weather here. I should have that all sorted by the end of the month and once we're ready to move, it really won't take much to pack. Honestly, at the end of the day, I was surprised by how little I actually need and wear consistently.
I really love this idea and have actually been applying it! Also, life moves on. As summer approaches, I do need new summer things. But make sure new stuff replaces old stuff, instead of adding to it. My rule, for every new item, an old item goes out. I keep a big bin in the laundry, fill it up as I go. Also, I make a rule to take the bin to Goodwill at least once a week, regardless of whether its full or not. Otherwise, you find yourself second-guessing it. And my kids are notorious for digging through the Goodwill bin, they argue every little thing, things that don't fit, they don't use, etc. I often make special trips to the donation box just to put an end to it.
Its hard to "pack" when you're not sure when you're moving. I find I do multiple sorts of the same room. Face it, 80-90% of the actual pruning will come the week before moving, that's just how it works. I do a mental inventory, would I take this? At least half my kitchen stuff would be tossed, its not worth moving and I can buy new for less than it costs to pack and haul the old.Fortunately, I packed my Christmas stuff last season with the idea I would be moving. Everything is ready to go!
I've found the smaller the item the more difficult to sort and pack. a sofa is easy, just pick it up here and plunk it down there. But a junk drawer full of odds and ends can take hours to sort, then what to do with what's left, how to pack and store "stuff"?
Its amazing what you can live without. The open spaces are refreshing!
Oh yeah, I second and third the idea of open spaces. HUGE SIGH! Because they don't stay open spaces for long. I have to admit to being one of those "shove it in a box company is coming no time to sort" procrastinators who lets the box sit in a closet for EVER! and EVER! Well today was "find the bottom of my closet day" and I had 5 of those little plastic bins of that "eek, here's company" stuff. I know at least 2 of them are from a couple years ago and I have just cleaned the closet and put them back in over and over. So I closed my eyes and dumped them into a trash bag! YUP! Eyes closed, dump!
I have a relatively empty closet now. I also have a new-in = old-out policy and today was get ready for warm weather clothes day. The left side of my closet has the stuff I haven't worn all winter; so that went in the goodwill bag and the right side got packed in the plastic container marked "seasonal clothes". I added the label: middle winter. There's some "tween" weight clothes I'll still wear until full shorts season is here. But the closet is done. Even the shelves up top. Everything down and some stuff was packed; what I still need occasionally is back up.
And on that note, I'm off to buy some canning jars. Strawberries are an excellent buy this year and I'm canning.
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