hooray--two whole closets! And some of the stuff actually in the garbage!

I've become, in recent months, a huge fan of just throwing stuff in the garbage. It all ends up there eventually; just cut to the chase. Eliminate the "chore clutter" of trying to recycle it somewhere.

And turn around here a minute, so I can pat you on the back for those hanging clothes--for successfully weeding them out and maintaining!

You better feel good! You're impressive, and inspiring.

I too found th t most of the stuff I did to get ready for moving was stuff that I needed to do anyway.

Good for you! Do you find yourself going back to those closets now just to admire your work? Whenever I've completed a project, I always find myself looking at the finished product.

What's next on your to-do list?

"I've become, in recent months, a huge fan of just throwing stuff in the garbage. It all ends up there eventually; just cut to the chase. Eliminate the "chore clutter" of trying to recycle it somewhere. "

Talley Sue, this made me laugh out loud! I think you're approaching the end stage mindset of organizing: just throw the #(%&%^ stuff OUT!

But there is a lot of truth to this. I just did it at work this morning. We had a corporate visit last week (I manage career placement for engineers at a university) and the firm brought boxes of *stuff*: giveaway pens, brochures, little giveaway notepads. Well, what taken that day they weren't willing to haul off so I've had several large boxes sitting in the middle of my office since then, where I literally trip over them every day.

Finally this morning my assistant and I pulled out a few items that we will display for our students and I threw the rest in the dumpster. It just isn't worth it to fuss and worry and spend more time and energy on this stuff. I'm so glad it is GONE.

And then there is my husband. Monday on recycling day I was astonished to see him bringing bin after bin after bin out all full of empty beer bottles. Why astonished? Because nobody in my house drinks beer! When I asked him what the heck he was doing, he told me he had been at the practice range over the weekend and noticed 'all these bottles that would just have gotten thrown away, so I brought them home to recycle them.' ARRGHHHHHHHHH. Not only do we have way too much stuff cluttering our house, he is now importing useless things just to recycle them. He also keeps bringing home more useless stuff that is "too good to throw away." Mind you, somebody else threw it away, but he has to bring it to our house where we don't need it, can't use it and have no place to store it. Lately it's been wooden boxes: cigar boxes, wine boxes etc. Why? I have no idea. He just keeps saying they are perfectly good. Good for what??? He drives me nuts, that guy.

He drives me nuts, that guy. It's a good thing you love him, sometimes, isn't it?

i'm still impressed w/ the two closets.

Oh, my church had a rummage sale to raise money for sending a clean-up team to N.O., and I looked at all these things people (even me) thought were useful that didn't sell. I don't think we had the largest crowd, but I'm sure the chafing dish wouldn't have sold no matter how big the crowd or how low the price. Some stuff just needs to go in the garbage.

I picture is all sitting there, crying out, "stop me before I kill--er, clutter--again!"

Ann, that reminds me of my BIL. He loves yard sales. Once, he stopped by at the end of the sale & these people were going to carry all of it to the dump. He told them he would take everything remaining & gave them maybe $10. It was an entire pickup load & he carried it home. Then he wanted my sister to help him go through it in case there was anything worth keeping. She was so angry! LOL - he hasn't done that again!

Saturday I also went through the kitchen cabinets & tossed some old stuff. I started on the fridge but didn't finish.

Tonight I'm going to try to finish the top shelf of our closet & get rid of the laundry mountain.

I have to tackle my sewing room, but I'm having a hard time with that one. I'm trying to do a little in there, then do something else, then come back to it. I also need to work on our attic, but that is a really big one.

I didn't get much done at home last night. DH called me to help him clean up his office because he was meeting with the company owner today.

Both of us are going on Sat. to meet with the owner & discuss the possible relocation. We should know more then about if & when this move will take place.

I haven't posted in a while, but I did have a thought on recycling. If you can recycle without too much difficulty, assuming you have a small space for items, or donate it to someone who might be able to use it, why not at least attempt to? It helps the environment.

This is my thought on the subject: When I clean closets, either of clothes or housewares, I throw out whatever is dirty or in bad shape, or doesn't have all the pieces, etc. Whatever is still in good shape, is in style, or is usable, goes to Goodwill or placed at Freecycle. I realize this seems to create a funnel effect in the decluttering of your home, and some might think that most of it will end up in the trash anyway, but if at least one or two items are actually used by someone, then that is one or two items less that end up in a landfill. This goes the same for newspaper, magazines, bottles, and cans.

An organized home shouldn't have too many things coming into it, but if anything goes out of it, and it can be recycled without too much trouble, it should be. It might make organized junkies cringe, but it is true that your trash might be someone else's treasure.

I put some of the "good" stuff I trash on top of the garbage can at the curb; inevitably it gets taken by someone.

If you can recycle without too much difficulty, assuming you have a small space for items, or donate it to someone who might be able to use it, why not at least attempt to?

I *don't* have a small space for items (I do have places for the things my city trash program recycles--paper, plastic, glass metal). I can't easily donate it to someone who might be able to use it--a trip to the Goodwill or Salvation Army (or any other such place) is an entire morning, and I have to plan my entire family's life around it.

Also, as I look at the stuff the ends up at rummage sales, the Goodwill, etc., and the stuff in my house, I realize more and more that most people don't need or want it--any of it. If it were truly valuable or useful to ANYBODY, it wouldn't end up there.

Also, stores like that tend to have more than they can use--more clohes, more old furniture, more out-of-date appliances and kitchen gadgets.

one or two items less that end up in a landfill.

Since I am not actually talking about newspapers, etc., which truly do get "recycled," I don't agree that donating stuff (as a form of recycling) keeps it out of the landfill. It just slows their arrival down.

Things like chafing dishes, old clothes, etc.--those will WILL be in the landfill eventually. It's only a matter of how much good they go in the meantime. Filtering through another person before they end up in the landfill is good--but not if the cost of making that happen is too huge for me.

And right now, it is huge. So I find myself just throwing things in the garbage.

And it's a huge relief. It has changed my life.

I'll pass something on directly to another person, who actively wants it, if I know about thema t the time. Or I'll pass on books to a charity's used book store, bcs my DH goes there anyway. I've occasionally brought something to work and set it on the "giveaway" shelf.

But if I decide one day that I don't want a certain dish, or kitchen gadget, or piece of clothing anymore, I just throw it out. Then it's gone. It's not still in my apartment (which is bigger than it used to be, once I remeasured it--1,100 sq. feet ) making my life miserable, and getting in the way, and WORSE, looking crummy.

Bcs I've discovered that "stuff sitting in the teeny little foyer (or worse, the dining room) waiting to go to the Goodwill" trashes my home MUCH worse than that stuff did when it was still in a closet.

Until I gave myself permission to throw things away, I actually used to decide NOT to clean out a closet, bcs I didn't want to trash the place by digging all the junk OUT of the closet and into the open.

I don't have a garage, a back porch, a mud room, a laundry room.

If it's easy to send something on to a place where it will GENUINELY be useful, and it won't be a burden, I'm all for that.

What I am NOT for is the idea that trying to donate it should become MORE clutter--chore clutter, or stuff clutter. It's stuff. It's not in charge, whether it's environmentally "righteous" or not.

Tally Sue, you've just taken away any of my guilt for throwing things out instead of donating them. You definitely make some good points.

I do donate some things. Last year we donated nearly an entire set of pots & pans, a dresser, microwave, loveseat, & my beloved antique sofa, along with some smaller items. I also donate clothes as long as they have no holes or stains. Our books either go to DH's brothers, the library, or Goodwill.

There are some things, though, that just aren't worth donating. The baked potato maker we received as a gift, for instance. You had to run a skewer through the potatoes & put water in the bottom to cook them. How many people are going to buy this used when they have either a microwave or oven to cook them in? If I had taken this to Goodwill, it would just sit there taking up their space until they had to throw it out.

I realize that in a city like NY or very rural areas, items may be hard to donate. Otherwise, don't forget that people aren't always looking for items to be used for the original purposes.

That potatoe baker may have parts that could be used when I'm making little garden poles for my plants. Games with pieces missing are perfect for people making altered books.

Quilters here are always looking for unusual fabric. Doesn't matter if something is totally out of style since we are cutting it up anyway. Chipped stuff is perfect for making mosaics.

I'm in the thrift stores here at least once a week and stuff rarely just sits.

Maybe we're just a more creative bunch up here?

Gloria

Tally Sue, you are an inspiration!

After reading this thread yesterday, I threw away an entire bag of odds and ends of stemware, plastic cups and kitchen oddities that had been sitting in my over-the-fridge cabinet forever -- all "too nice" to toss, yet things that nobody apparently wants since they went back in there after my last garage sale. I know, I should have tossed them then, but better late than never!

As marie26 said, thank you for your comments, they helped make this a guilt-free decision! Now on to my kids' closets!

Kittiemom,
Congratulations on those closets! The amount removed is definitely a job well done!

Our stuff is generally recycled or sent to thrift stores. And I agree that thrift store merchandise has a quick turnover. There are two stores that I love shopping at because they have nice things at cheap prices.

Note to those of you who toss stuff in the garbage: Good for you! I would rather it hit the landfills than have your families live in clutter.