Decluttering Kondo style

[baymom]

I've been slowly getting better at decluttering and the Kondo book was very inspiring to me. This year one of my NY's resolutions was to put out AT LEAST one bag when a local charity does a pick up on my street. It's September and I've kept my resolution so far. But, the thing that gets me is making sure that donations go to the right place and it slows me down, as well. I have multiple bags in the garage for different places things go and it was making the garage cluttered! A few months ago, I gave up and just set everything out for the charity that does the pick up. It still makes me feel sort of bad and I wish I had the bandwidth the get the "good/expensive" things to places/people who I know could really use them. For now, I just have to be satisfied that it is out of my house.

ETA: More than decluttering, though, the single biggest thing that has helped is that I've just stopped buying things that we don't actually NEED. I've stopped being tempted by a good deal on things that just add more 'stuff' in our home or on 'too good to pass up prices' on anything. That shift in mindset, for me, has been huge. Of course, our house could still use a lot of decluttering!

[Globetrotter]

ETA: More than decluttering, though, the single biggest thing that has helped is that I've just stopped buying things that we don't actually NEED. I've stopped being tempted by a good deal on things that just add more 'stuff' in our home or on 'too good to pass up prices' on anything. That shift in mindset, for me, has been huge. Of course, our house could still use a lot of decluttering!

definitely!

[Meatball Mommie]

I just got the book and I am excited to do a big purge. I've been feeling very overwhelmed with all our "stuff" lately. We straighten up every weekend, but by mid-week, it's terrible again. I think it's because we just have too much and we don't have places for everything. Like some of the others, we moved 2x and just moved boxes of crap. We did a big attic clean out last summer (rented a dumpster) and finally threw away our college texts and NOTES! Yes, 17 years after graduation and I still had notes from classes. I don't even work in my field (nor will I ever again)!
I went through the master bathroom the day I got the book and I threw out 4 garbage bags of stuff. I am such a lotion and cosmetic product hoarder! I realized that I had some of that stuff going on 4 years - who would want to use 4 year old lotion? ick
I will definitely have a hard time with sentimental stuff, but this time I am actually going to donate wedding gifts that are still in their original boxes. I will never use the 4 Lennox vases I received lol.

[jgenie]

I tackled my dresser today. I took everything out of drawers and threw it on my bed and then sorted. I have a garbage bag full of clothes to donate. Seeing it all really did help. I'm also returning several workout items from the Nords anniversary sale. I didn't realize how many workout pants I owned!!

[Globetrotter]

Make sure you roll or fold the clothes so you can see them in the drawers. If you haven't done it, look up photos online. It's awesome! I'm now using things I had forgotten!

meatball mommie, I too recycled/donated school papers and books just a few years ago!