I officially started the 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge on September 15 and just finished the first full month yesterday! Here were my ground rules:
- Only spend 10 minutes at one time and only in one specific area.
- Monday through Wednesday, seek out items that we no longer need and make a pile. Then Thursday through Saturday, make a plan for how to deal with them. (This worked so well and avoided that dreaded box of “what should I do with these?” items.)
- Possible places to find new homes for items: Ebay/Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Trash Nothing website or the local Buy Nothing Facebook group and as a last resort, Goodwill
I feel a responsibility for the things I have and want to be intentional with how I dispose of them. Questions I asked myself: If it’s here, what purpose does it serve? Can I use it up? Can I enjoy it vs. keeping it tucked away in drawers and boxes? And if not, can I let it go to someone who may need it more?
So…Month #1! I haven’t really looked critically at our belongings since we moved in two years ago and…it’s time. The kids are getting older, our tastes are changing, and it just feels like a big time of transition. Two big things I learned this month:
- I was surprised to feel very emotional as I decided to let things go. This shocked me because I don’t consider myself to be an emotional person! However, through the years, I’ve held on to many things that have sentimental value, but actually get rarely used. So many memories from the early years of my marriage! It’s time to let someone else enjoy them, but whew! Some were hard to part with.
- I have all that I need – and a whole lot more. Lately, I’ve been whining to myself about all the things I don’t have. Nothing like a good decluttering to see how much I’ve already got!
I’m really proud of the work I put in this month. Looking forward to continuing the process in month #2.
WHAT I DECLUTTERED THIS MONTH
- 44 books. I sold a set of 20 little religion books on ebay for (after fees) $31, as well as five books the boys read and no longer wanted. I also donated 11 saint books to our church’s CCD program. The rest went to Goodwill.
- 18 pieces of Sophia’s outgrown clothing from last year. My girl is growing like a weed and has grown out of all of her size 6 fall clothes already. I made a post on Trash Nothing and received an answer within 10 minutes! We have been the recipients of so many hand-me-downs over the years and I always love to give another mama that gift as well.
- A Christmas dress and shrug. Sold on ebay for $17.
- One winter coat.
- Two Willow Tree figurines. This was a hard one because they were gifts, back when we were just beginning parenthood. They’ve been sitting in a closet collecting dust, so I decided to put them on ebay for someone else to enjoy. Sold almost overnight for (after fees) almost $13!
- One board game.
- A big diaper box full of P’s 2T clothing. All in all, I think there were 32 pieces with everything from shirts to pajamas to last year’s winter jacket. I found a mama on Trash Nothing and that makes it so much easier to part with them.
- 8 old magazines. Into the recycling bin.
- One arrow quiver for archery.
- Ten various pieces of clothing. Off to Goodwill. These were clothes in good condition, but didn’t have much resale value and weren’t substantial enough to warrant creating a post on Trash Nothing.
- One pair of snow boots.
- Four brand new pieces of Heather Ross fabric and a new bobbin of thread. Waaay back in the day, I used to really be into quilting, a skill my grandmother taught me. I purchased many beautiful fabrics, but life and lots of babies happened and most of that fabric has been sitting untouched in a box for years. Finally ready to let some of them go. I listed this group on ebay and they sold for $18.
P.S. To “count,” the item had to physically leave my house. So while I have listed a handful of things online, those aren’t counted until they have sold.
Wow, this is incredible! You're inspiring me to maybe start a similar challenge after we finish our current renovation project. I know if I start now I'll regret adding mess to mess, haha.
Totally understand. Having a big, messy project on top of another messy project would stress me out!