It Started with a Business Card, Part 2

Post date: Jan 7, 2017 6:28:29 PM

It Started with a Business Card, Part 2

What did I learn about decluttering and my relationships to stuff? A Listicle

All of us have “stuff” we love: books, coffee mugs, Christmas decorations, purses, old T-shirts from races, stuffed animals, family photos, old Downton Abbey Calendars, or teapots. Different people are more attached to some stuff depending on age, gender, personality and so much more. Some of us cherish old things passed down from parents and grandparents: pocket watches, quilts, china cups, books, or furniture. For whatever reason, we tend to accumulate stuff and before we know it, we’ve filled all available space with it. However, I’ve learned a little about myself, my relationship to stuff, and my ability to declutter over the past three years. I also had a LOT of help from Lynn and Kathy (What Needs Done? Chore Service).

Here are a few lessons I've learned:

• Get a Stuff account: I become a regular consignor at Stuff etc. which is located next to Menards in Waterloo, Iowa. (Go to the Stuff website and learn about their services as well as what they need now and what they don’t take). Set up a free account and you can schedule your appointments online to take two tubs at a time. You can buy a black bag, fill it up, and drop it off without an appointment, picking it back up in 24 hours. They also have a furniture store nearby so you can take furniture there as well. I got rid of several desks, dressers, chairs, and half a dozen bookcases.
  • If Stuff rejected it, I took it to Good Will. I also donated a lot of furniture to St. Vincent DePaul. Once you have sorted it out, it doesn’t go back into your house!
  • Ask around and see if someone needs what you are downsizing. My mother’s nice dresser and bedside stand went to a young teacher. My beloved garden arch found a new home in my son and daughter-in-law’s back yard. I also took lots of books and small items to the "free box" outside my office at my college.
  • Chunk it down—work on one room at a time or tackle one closet at a time. It is easy to get overwhelmed otherwise. Early on, I grabbed two empty tubs that I devoted to Stuff and then challenged myself to fill them up in the next week. As soon as they were full, I made an appointment. Label your tubs with your name and stuff number and put them someplace visible and they will remind you to fill them up.
  • Get a clipboard and a tablet and start making a list, room by room, of what you want to keep--and things to give away. If in doubt, put a question mark next to items you aren't sure about—then, you’ve identified them as things to consider getting rid of later on. Use Excel or Google Sheets to create a copy that can be used as a household inventory, which can help if you are moving: my excel spreadsheet turned into a “where to put it” list for the movers and can also be used for insurance purposes.
  • When in doubt, hold off. You can get rid of it next time. There were several things that I put in the tub and then took back out multiple times before I was able to get rid of them.
  • Take a photo. I found that I could get rid of a few things if I had pictures of the item. I took several things to Stuff and then had to stop and take pictures of them before I walked away. This was especially true of some of my parent’s possessions.
  • With three bathrooms, I had an abundance of towels. If you have surplus towels, think about taking them to your local homeless shelter. Lynn and Kathy also took some to a Vet’s office.
  • Have surplus cleaning supplies or personal care products? Again, homeless shelters can use them. If you have saved all of those small bottles of shampoo and lotion from hotel rooms, this is a great chance to do something good for others.
  • Lynn and Kathy did some amazing things with my stash of old pantyhose – they covered yardsticks with them and use them to get under refrigerators, beds, and couches. (They nicknamed it the “humiliator”).
  • Have surplus socks or clothing? Shelters can use them.
  • Have too many books? If fairly current, you can donate them to your local library’s Friends’ group for book sales or take them to Stuff. In addition, you can consider the Lions’ club book sale or Goodwill.
  • Have any large items like a lawn mower? Advertise them online in a free "shopper" or Craigslist.
  • Donate items to your local Community Playhouse. I took my mother’s long dresses, my second wedding dress, and costume jewelry to our local community theaters. Call them first, but they can use costumes and props.
  • Preserve your keepsakes. I had my first wedding dress professionally cleaned at Varsity; this is the one my mother wore in 1946 and I then wore in 1974. They did a wonderful job of boxing it up.
  • Consolidate. I ended up tearing apart some old photo albums with the terrible sticky sheets. I tore out the photos because I wanted to sort them out and scan some of them into a digital album. I put all of the loose pictures in a shallow tub and got rid of a dozen bulky albums.
  • Rethink your magazine subscriptions: I am slowly cutting back on the number that I get.
  • Rethink your book purchases. I now buy more e-books for my Kindle than physical books. After getting rid of so many bookcases, I had to decide which books to keep.

Once you have done this process, you will think differently about buying things. I got rid of more than half of my holiday decorations and haven’t really been tempted to replace them. We did get a few outdoor lights but no longer have a big tree: instead, I cherish my ceramic tree from Mike’s mom, Jane, and a small tree with just a few ornaments. So far, I have only replaced one small appliance that I had gotten rid of –- my waffle maker! Do I still have clutter? Yes, but not as much and I continue to sort through and get rid of things.

And yes, it all started with a business card: thanks, Lynn and Kathy!

Last updated January 7, 2017