#justsaying #opinion
Last year my neighbour sadly died. It took her friend and her son, 5 weeks to clear her flat. They filled 100 black bin bags with clothes, many with the tags still on. They removed 12 dog beds, she only had one dog.
All of these things were stored away in wardrobes, cupboards, drawers, inside bed storage etc., so the flat did not resemble a hoarder's place.
This has given me pause for thought. In Sweden when people get older, they start the decluttering process themselves. They give away their valuables to loved ones, while they are still alive. They pack up clothes and donate them to charity.
So here is my latest decluttering plan:
1. Every week when I put the rubbish into my black bin, I get rid of one item. (By the end of the year I will have got rid of 52 items that were just sitting in cupboards – just in case I needed them!)
2. Twice a year, winter and summer I donate clothes that no longer fit me or that I did not wear the winter/summer before.
3. If I buy a new item of clothing I get rid of an old one!
4. I sell my books on the World of Books Sell your books app – and get a small amount of money back for them.
5. Once a month, I tidy a drawer or cupboard and get rid of some of the contents.
After 71 years I have accumulated a lot of 'stuff'. I realise most of it will not be relevant to either my family or friends. I was brought up in an age when you kept things, just in case you needed them. So I have a button box, and a ribbon box as well as a sewing box. I have a store cupboard full of empty cardboard boxes!
Recently, I went on my neighbourhood facebook group and got rid of a large exerciser to a nice young man who collects scrap and gave a food processor away to a young man just starting up in his first flat.
Decluttering can be overwhelming but if you do it regularly, a little at a time, your family will thank you for it!
HAVE YOU GOT ANY GOOD DECLUTTERING TIPS? PLEASE PUT THEM IN COMMENTS BELOW.
**I am off to tackle my winter coat problem. I have too many! I will be donating to my local charity shop.**
©✍️CarolynCrossley
