What is your secret to getting rid of stuff?

I have used a “quarantine bin.” Drop stuff in and if you haven’t missed them in (x) weeks, donate or trash them. It lets me make decisions faster and I rarely remove anything to keep.

I did this, and I’ll do it again in a few years because I’ll have to downsize further.

I start with the necessities. For example, I know what I need to be able to comfortably work in a kitchen. I put it in order of priorities. I do the same with clothing, etc. and get all the essentials picked out and set aside, listed, or labeled, according to how soon I’ll be moving. Once I have the essentials covered, I take it room by room, or perhaps subject by subject, depending on the situation. I work steadily, but I stop working on a project before I’m worn out, and take a break and start on another area for variety.

You might want to have one room just for give away so it won’t get confused with the rest of the stuff.

You might want to save the paper you want to shred and pay a company to do that for you.

Salvation Army, Savers, and other organizations often go through neighborhoods and pick up donation items on certain days. You might call around to find what’s possible.

If you have friends who are willing, invite someone over to keep you on task and help.

Try to finish one room completely before you start on another. That way you’ll have tangible evidence of the progress you’ve made. This will encourage you when you feel overwhelmed.

Give it to Good Will.

The last two months I committed to throwing away at least one thing every day. It can be cleaning the fridge, throwing away an old shopping bag from a store, it can be anything. Some days I get on a roll and fill up two trash bags, but daily I do at least one item.

During the task described above I’ve also started a box for a garage sale. The box might wind up being dropped off at a charity. I’ll probably let my friends go through it first to see if they want anything. The jelly above suggested a room for giveaways, that sounds like a great idea. You could sell the stuff too. Invite friends and acquaintances.

I have thrown away some clothes too. I usually donate clothes, but once in a while I just trash the items to make it easier on myself. I gave away about 20 pieces of clothing in great condition to a friend two years ago. I just mailed bras to my sister that were basically new and some shirts. She said everything fit great. Any article of clothing two sizes too small or more I’ve been trying to get rid of.

The most efficient way to organize is to only touch an item once and decide whether to keep, donate, or trash, but I’m not great at that. Inevitably some of my “keeps” I need to go through again as I gain more mental strength to part with things. It does get easier as you get on a roll to throw things out.

Emotionally it can be really hard. The best for me is being on the phone with my sister as I do it. I don’t like to work alone in general, and especially not when sorting and organizing.

By the way, I’m kind of scattered when I do it. It’s like I’m developing ADD as I age. I start on one part of the house then feel like I can’t do it anymore and go to another. I would guess most people would say it’s better to complete one area and then move to the next, but I’m not great at that. I do force myself sometimes to complete an area so the result of the work is very visible. Empty shelves and drawers that aren’t packed so tightly with stuff, it feels great.

@Jeruba I’m in the same camp. One thing that helped me was scanning documents and shredding the originals. All of my files are automatically encrypted and backed up remotely with a service, so I can horde files to my heart’s content without boxes of paper records.

Psychologically, I hate trashing stuff because I don’t like seeing useful things ending up in landfills. That’s why donating and doing curb-alerts on Craigslist has been helpful. I know that stuff is going to be put to use by someone else and that makes it much easier to let it go for me.

I’ve had to do it myself. Get a medium size box and tell yourself that may keep this box full of things with no reason of keeping except sentimental reasoning or “I just want it.” Only this box full. For most everything else, if you haven’t used it in the past seven years it must go. Furniture isn’t part of that reasoning. Some pieces don’t really get used, they just are there but if they will not fit your new space in a uncramped way, let it go. Take clothes for donation and you will not think about the thousands of dollars…....you know what I mean. I wish you success.

We have a cargo tram which comes every month and collects all that you don’t need.

Oh, I belong to a Facebook group for my area that people post items to gift and items needed. @elbanditoroso made me think of it. It’s great.

One woman posted she wanted a stationary bike and someone stepped right up and said she had one to give. Another woman needed a heavy desk for sewing. That happened too. People give away boxes for moving, furniture, adornments, everything. People usually leave the item outside their door for pick up.

That Facebook group might be in every city, I can ask the admin if you’re interested. Just seeing the interaction in the group is inspiring to get rid of things.

We had a site called Freecycle in our area. It is only for giveaways. You might have one in your area.

I put usable stuff on Craigslist for free. Also sell stuff on Craigslist. I use to sell stuff on eBay but they charge too much. We also have an area in the garage for stuff to take to the Goodwill.

Everything you touch, consider a few things:

1. Do you know what it is?
2. Is it a have-to-have or a nice-to-have or a why-do-I-have?
3. Have you touched or even thought about it in the past 6 months?
4. Do you have something else that serves the same function? Example, when we moved we had 3 full sets of china dishes. Who needs 3 sets? We barely touch 1. Get rid of 2.
5. If it is sentimental, is it really sentimental or just a mild reminder of something?
6. If it serves a function, is it something that you will need at your new home?
7. If it serves a function, is it the only item that can perform that function?
8. If it serves a function, do you need that function?
9. If it serves a function, and you haven’t used it in 6 months, is it cheaper to store it or replace it when you do want to use it?

I put out boxes and start filling with items I don’t need over a month or so. From gently used shoes to knick-knack’s, to pots and pan’s. Then I post for free, and whomever comes has to take it all.

I gave this a GQ, because it’s a problem that I struggle with, and it’s a problem that a lot of people struggle with. There was an article in the NY Times Magazine a few years ago, about how so many people in the US spend so much money on storage facilities, and most of what they store is not worth the cost of the storage bin that they’re paying monthly for. The article said that people have rooms in their houses that are just for junk or unused stuff. It stated that one of the problems we have in the US is cheap goods that shoppers can’t resist.

I don’t have a storage bin, but luckily or unluckily I have an attic and a basement and both are full of stuff. I just retired a few months ago, and like many other coworkers who have retired, I now have time to get rid of stuff.

My method was going to be selling stuff on Ebay, but I haven’t yet done much with that. I have a lot of clothes that are brand new or barely worn, and in great shape. I haven’t listed them yet, so I don’t know what the market is for good used clothes.

One of my problems is I have a small house and I tend to come in the front door with groceries or other stuff and I leave it right near the door. I also have a lot of craft stuff which takes up space. I need to go through it soon so I can organize what’s good and get rid of what’s not.

One thing I have done in the past is, when I get fed up and frustrated, I just throw stuff out. Just put it in the garbage, done, don’t care, just want it out. It may not be a good method for everyone, and for everything, but it is quick and painless.

Another trick I’ve been utilizing is when I log onto zoom for Zumba or to listen to a presentation I’ve been using that time to sort. I don’t feel alone, and if I’m supposed to be exercising at least if I’m on my feet sorting I feel like it counts. Some sorting I can do sitting in a chair, but most I’m on my feet. I have a zoom about four times a week, so it kind of became my time I obligated myself to work on the house.

Give it to your kids.

Sell the rest on FB Market Place.

Have a yard sale. If that doesn’t work, set it out on the curb with a “FREE” sign on it. Still no luck?? Haul it to the dump.

I put any item that contains metal next to my driveway.
That way, it will be picked up by metal scavengers within a few days.

That’s how I disposed of my previous window-mounted AC unit, a floor-standing fan, and a bicycle that someone left in my walkway.

I’m far from the neatest person in the world, but the best way I’ve found to get rid of clutter is to avoid impulse buying of anything I don’t really need. That just leaves stuff I’ve already purchased which reveals it’s true value over time. Then when I really get tired of looking at things I no longer have use for they become easy to dispose of.

Also, pondering the money I’ve wasted buying stuff I didn’t really need in the past has proven to be a great deterrent toward accumulating more stuff. The less junk I buy, the less clutter I create.

Clutter is created by accumulating more things than we know what to do with. It’s usually the result of a mindset that embraces the belief that having things make us happy. We get new things when the old things no longer satisfy us. Getting things period is a temporary fix for whatever lack we feel. When we acknowledge this we tend to accumulate less things. Clutter then becomes less of a problem.

I asked here for ideas about getting rid of specific things. For example: What should I do with a box of old cameras? There were many good suggestions.
And I was able to pass them on to people who appreciated them.

G U T S

G – Give it away. When was the last time it was used or touched? If it’s been more than a year, is it worth keeping? Do your children want it? Is there a specific charity that would appreciate it?

U – Use it. If there are items that can or will be used in your new environment, keep it, as long as there will be space.

T – Throw it out. This may include visiting a recycling center.

S – Save it. If it will be used again, has sentimental value, or one of your children will most likely want it but aren’t old enough to realize it yet, then hold on to it. It can always be reassessed at a later date.

If it is affordable, another option is to rent storage and place items in there until a later date.

My father moved out of his first home and into a Florida condo in 1981. We had lived in that house since 1954 so it had collected al a lot of items – and momories. He could not bear to throw things away. It was killing him.
I had just moved into a comparatively large, empty home with a 2000 sq ft basement and same size attic so I volunteered to store anything he wanted. That took the pressure off him. I rented a large U-Haul truck and drove it to my house. Dad passed away 18 years later.
Sadly, many of the boxes are still stored, untouched in the attic. I have tried to get my brother to come and look at them with me but he keeps putting it off.

One of these days I will take my grandchildren up there and with a wide sweep of my arm tell them: “Some day this will all be yours!”

I hope they don’t torch the house.

I have a clear out every so often and try to keep the “if in doubt, throw it out” rule in mind.

I usually flush it down the toilet.