Minimize existing clutter and excess possessions

OK I purchased two rolling plastic drawers for the arts and crafts supplies. I am moving the office supplies into one of the top drawers today and giving away the rest to a non-profit. (Why have 500 paper clips when you only use 2-3 a year? Ditto: pencils, pens, note pads, etc.) I need to move some fabric paints to the cart too – if they haven’t dried up.

I still need an outside deck box for lanterns, etc. and 2 bins and giant Ziplocks for Aunt M.’s quilts.

I gave away a very nice end table to a friend. (Ethan Allen I found at the thrift store for $40.) And a very solid wood tv/stereo stand to another friend. (I have a new LCD TV hanging on the wall and I love it – if for nothing else than the fact it takes up less room.)

I am taking down the pot rack in the kitchen today. It is going to a charity yard sale at the community center next week. Ditto an old pine dresser with baking supplies in it. It is a real antique but I ain’t got room for it. The pans are going in the dish cabinets – what I don’t have room for also is going to the yard sale. The baking supplies are going… I don’t know where yet. Maybe in a plastic bin in the closet.

Once the dresser and pot rack is moved out of the kitchen, I am moving my desk from my bedroom to there. Then my bedroom is done being decluttered – except for weeding out a bookcase (I think for the third time).

I got to get moving.

For a house to be this small – I just can’t believe how much stuff I had in it!!!!

b.

I need a storage cabinet outside for my lawn tools – instead of leaving them in the corner on the front porch.

I need a deck box to put under the deck for outdoor lanterns and spare flower pots (just a few – most have been given away) – instead of in Rubbermaid bins on the deck.

I need a place for my indoor tools – saws and drills and paint brushes – I’ve not figured out where yet. But someplace instead of over on the side in the living room in a rolling cart that never gets put away.

I need a place to store my quilts. They need to be very safe – Aunt Myrtle made them. Maybe a clear plastic bins with tight fitting lids. Maybe too, inside a giant Ziplock bags inside the bins. On the top shelf of the bedroom closet?

I need a place to put toiletries I just need now and then: tummy medicine, first aid supplies…. maybe a rolling plastic cart with drawers. It can live in the bedroom closet.

I need a place to store craft supplies. Yarn mostly. But paint stensils and calligraphy and art supplies…. ditto a plastic cart in the bedroom closet?

I have catering supplies too: china, chafing pans, stockpots and giant salad bowls…. Rubbermaid bins will work… but where do I put them? I think the answer is again, the bedroom closet. Bottom shelf this time as this they are heavy.

I don’t have a garage nor a basement… just a damp cellar. I live in a 100 year old house with just one giant bedroom closet. One good thing about this: you can’t accumulate much because you don’t have a place to store it!

I have gotten rid of all the extra rugs, towels and sheets… Now I have 4 bath towels, 2 beach towels, 2 sets of summer sheets, and 2 sets of flannel sheets. I need one set of sheets on the bed and one set clean. If I am sick with the flu and can’t get the laundry done, I can use percale sheets in winter – not a problem. Ditto towels: I need one set to use and another set clean. If need be, I can use a beach towel. I have also weeded out all the extra dishtowels and potholders, handtowels and washcloths. I need enough to last a week.

So now I have room in the linen cabinet to store things like cleaning supplies, the vaporizer, a heating pad… the dog’s shampoo, the extra bedding for the cats. I think I re-arrange in there a bit, I may even have room for the tablecloths and napkins and curtains.

Storage – it’s a good thing.

A friend came and spent an hour with me and helped me focus on the living room. I am going to do the same at her house next Sunday. While I went through the items on the end table and the dining room table, she straightened up, polished the furniture and mirror and “made a tableau” on the chest in the entry. She even brought a spring bouquet. Daffadills. They smell lovely. She said it is easier to clean a space if there are flowers in the room.

I got rid of a Rubbermaid bin’s worth of stuff. It is in the truck and I will drop it by the charity’s collection center tomorrow.

She helped me sort through 2 baskets of mending. I tossed several things. I put several items in the give-away pile. Only 6 items were left (wardrobe essentials I cannot replace easily). She took three items, and I took three items. We promised to have them done by next Sunday. (Later—she had 2 of the 3 done and they were in a bag hanging on the doorknob.)

I got 2 boxes ready to mail with her impedus.

I found 17 rolls of film on the dining room table that need to be developed. I never have enough spare cash to just get it all developed at once. I don’t know how old some of it is. She suggested I drop 4 rolls off every month on the 23 of the month. (March 23 is the day I quit smoking last year. I get a reward the 23 of each month—even if it is just a post card to send to a friend.) I can spend $20-30 a month on this. Plus, she says, if one or so rolls are not good I still have a couple more chances that one of them will be good and I’ll have nice pictures as a reward. I like the way this friend thinks.

I need to sort out my hardware and tools. Two boxes and two buckets are lurking in the living room, on the side. Painting supplies mostly. I keep thinking I will get the big closet in the bedroom empty enough to put it in there. Not yet. There is no other place for it right now. I cannot go in the cellar (too damp and too remote). There is not room in the laundry room. I use one bucket almost everyday. (Bucket Boss—a fabric tool chest that fits into a 5 gallon bucket.) The 2 boxes are supplies: caulk, weather stripping, spray paint… The other bucket is impliments for painting. I need to get maybe an underbed box empty for the supplies. I can find room in the big closet for the 2 buckets.

I also started cleaning out from under the deck. Buckets, old flower pots, etc. I got it out and stacked on the deck (sort of neatly but not neat enough to stay). Most of it just needs to go into the trash bags. I was running out of daylight and wanted to take a walk with the dog and cats along the river. If it is warm one evening this week, I’ll get it bagged up then. If not, I’ll put “date with buckets” in my calendar for next Sunday afternoon.

There are a couple more things under the deck – and a Rubbermaid bin of flower pots to get rid of in the cellar. I also have on the deck some fireplace tools to take to the thrift store, bbq tools that need organizing, and 3 acreens that need repairing. And the deck chairs need washing. (Reminder: buy Oxi-clean for the deck chairs.) So I have several hours work to get the deck ready for warm weather. I am buying new umbrella and cushions this week. That will be great incentive to get things picked up and taken care of.

OK time for bed. Thanks to my friend – a most excellent tableau maker. :-) Thanks to you for listening! b.

I am buying a spinach pizza on the way home and a big bottle of my favorite mineral water. I am putting in the Tina Turner CD when I get home. I am not going to bed until the couch is uncovered (many coats and odd bits), the suitcases from my last 2 road trip are put away—1/2 unpacked. And! The dead computer on my dining room table is either in the trash or ready to be sent to the thrift store.

Imagine bull dozers and dump trucks making umm ummm sounds and beepbeep noises.

I am working on this goal slowly.

I cleared out some Christmas wrapping paper and two boxes from the closet since my last entry. I keep wanting to get the closet finished. But one box at a time—patience. I need patience.

I also have one small bag of clothes to go to the thrift store.

I cleaned off my desk. Found it fun to just have to put away 8-10 things as opposed to an archiological dig. I am happy to report my desk is still operating as a desk.

So no huge progress. But even small progress is progress. I was getting ready for Christmas for several weeks, then came home Dec. 29th and pretty much worked every day for 2 weeks. Now I need to go back to the mountains again—tomorrow or Friday.

But despite frequent trips delaying my progress with the house—I am realizing I need to use my time better at work so I will get my time at home to do projects like this. I end up getting home at 9 PM most nights. I only leave on time if I am going to the gym these days.

If I got home in a timely way, then I’d get to bed earlier (see new goal) and get over being so tired so much of the time. Then I could act like a rational human being and be more effective at home and at work… thus, get home sooner and get to bed sooner—on and on. I am tired tonight. Can you tell? It is almost my self-imposed bed time.

OH! one last update: I also got my stereo in the entertainment center—sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is like rewiring the space shuttle. I got the DVD player attached and working again. And I have vacummed the drawer were some DVD’s can be stored, but none have actually made it there yet.

I have 2 baskets and one box (of misc.) in the living room to sort, one dead computer to evaluate and get off the dining room table… then I just need to sweep, mop, dust and wash mirrors and windows in there.

Patience. I need patience.

I have to climb in the top of my big closet in the bedroom and get out two boxes of Halloween decorations. .... and since I am going to be up there on the step ladder, I might as well bring down the stereo boxes that can be recycled now (warranty period is over). I have about 20 boxes of Christmas things. I won’t get to all of them but maybe I can sort out one box this weekend and send some things to the thrift store or my young nieces and nephews. (I didn’t have any ornaments my first few Christmases—I made paper chains!) I also have camping equipment up there that needs to go in Rubbermaid bins and then to the cellar. Then there is old toys that need to be thrown away or sent to the thrift store.

If you all don’t hear from me by Sunday night, I’ll be buried under some boxes in the closet! Send the fire trucks. The firemen are always cute. Preferably before Halloween as I don’t want to miss it. ;-)

Wish me luck.

spacesavers.com

Caution CAUTION Caution however – sometimes “organizational tools” are just another way for me to keep too much stuff. My file cabinet is testimony to this fact.

For years I have used the file cabinet to store anything possible: needlepoint projects, floss for embroidery… I have an entire crate with hanging file folders with sides on them just for craft supplies. What is small and very loose goes in a Ziplock before it goes into the folder. All the folders are labled and in alphabetical order.

I even have a filing crate with my hardware and tools—need to use it more. But nails and bits and parts can be filed too. Office supplies too.

The only thing is, you guessed it. I keep things I am never going to use again: bead projects where the beads are too hard to see, leftover yarn, cross stitch on 28 count linen that gives me a headache to work on, hardware bits that were extra, etc. So for me anyway, even organized can still just be clutter that is organized.

I think my long term goals are to get rid of anything I haven’t touched in 5 years. No matter what it is. Sentimental value or not. Messing with stuff takes time and energy – it sucks it away from me. I would much more honor the persons of my life by visiting, calling or writing them. That gives me energy – incredibly full to overflowing, in fact.

I need to get rid of anything I haven’t used in 2 years. Give it out to the world – the riches will return to me ten fold.

I need to get rid of anything I have 2 of.

I need to get rid of at least 1/2 of anything I have many of: clothes, books, dishes, towels, linens, Christmas ornaments.

I need to get rid of things, organized things, I use to think were important – but again – just take time and energy from me: tablecloths, linens, tools, hardware, extra flower pots, craft supplies, etc.

Being “organized” is not all it’s cracked up to be now that I think about it. I have been. And it has costed me dearly.

Oh yes oh yes!!

I took a breather from the paper sorting and the last hurrah that is needed to finish the living room. Honestly I was getting bored looking at it – but mostly because I have a huge cedar wardrobe in there that I need to weed out and I am dreading it. I figure it all has to be done eventually, so for a change of scenery and a short reprieve with the wardrobe, I went after two nest areas in my bedroom this weekend.

I took out one on FRIDAY night. I wanted to watch the DVD “The Hours” a friend had loaned me. I told myself I couldn’t until I spent an hour on the clutter first. I really was tired of looking at the collection of stuff under my desk whenever I went to the bathroom – the bathroom door faces out onto the desk in the bedroom… so it is the view when you leave the bathroom door open as I am want to do most times. (There are advantages to living by yourself.)

So. CLUTTER CITY under that there desk. The cats like to rearrange things as they chase each other. The desk is a “catch-all” spot in my house. So, as a result of the two forces, I found under the desk: lots of receipts, a fork, one glass, my diary, both parts of the wireless mouse, a lapdesk, my briefcase, a rug, a towel, 2 washcloths, 1 pair of socks (wool so must of been under there since last spring), a box of stationery, 2 note cards, a bag with post cards in it from Dollywood (went there in July), 15 Post-it pads, 2 note pads, a composition book, two legal pad, a docking station for my laptop, Harry Potter Book 2, “Mrs. Dod’s Housekeeping Companion” that Barbara loaned me many moons ago, a basket, a tin of Altoids gum, a marble, a binder clip, various rubber bands and paper clips, instruction book and cd for my wireless card, parts and instruction book for the docking station, numerous earrings and 2 brooches, 3 necklaces, 23 cents, a swimsuit, a beach towel, and a bra. Dust, dust bunnies, Jasper-the-white-fluffy-kitty kitty fuzz, and a dead katydid.

Nest number two was under the bedroom chest of drawers. I cleaned it out yesterday. It was a smaller space, and less central – so less likely to be used as a lauching pad by the suborbital, yet no-less flying kitty cats. It contained: yogurt cup, applesauce cup, 2 spoons, a tote bag with a deodorant and my camera bag inside. (Camera has been missing since… Christmas?) (There are 3 rolls of film in the camera bag and one in the camera.) LOTS of jewerly as the kitties had dumped out a jewlery box, 2 pairs of socks, 2 sweatshirts, and a bath mat.

Some papers were in both nests. Mostly trash: receipts, packaging for a thermostat, an intruction book or two.

You do not know how long I have looked at the nest under the desk and dreaded pulling it all out and sorting it and cleaning under there. Or seen the cats playing “hide and seek” under the dresser and knowing more stuff was getting scattered under there as they cavorted.

Several tools helped me. Mostly music.

On Friday evening, I pressed the clock radio’s “Sleep” button to give myself 59 minutes to work. I ended up pressing it twice and taking 2 hours to sort it all out. Once I got going I didn’t want to stop.

Yesterday I used my iPod’s playlist “The Girls” and knew I had 5 hours of tunes to keep me company while I worked: Tina Turner, Dixie Chicks, Norah Jones, Emmy Lou Harris… all kept me company as I sorted out from under the dresser. Then I washed or dusted off everything that I had found in both nest forays. Then I swept and mopped the bedroom, dusted the dresser, washed my desk top to bottom, put a new tablecloth on, reattached the wireless mouse and docking station, washed the window top to bottom beside my desk, dusted or wiped off many things and admired what I had done.

friday night I got a Coke when I was finished. Yesterday, I got a Sprite mid-day, and had promised myself chocolate ice cream but didn’t need it by the time I was done.

I didn’t work fast but I worked steady. I go at a breakneck pace M-F – it is hard to get inthused or even “up” on the weekends – especially if I need to get “up” for a house cleaning binge. This was it and it was easy. I took my time. When five hours was up I was going to quit, no matter what I had done – but I had to stay busy. Even sorting out earring bits from the kitty fuzz bundles wasn’t bad. I had a good day.

Then I fixed dinner. Ate. And sat at my new clean desk and worked for 2 hours and that was fun too. I had room for my brain to expand. I wasn’t juggling a laptop on my lap in the recliner with the briefcase balanced on a tv-tray in danger of being up-ended every minute or so.

Peaches went after Buttons at 6:30 this morning (sibling rivary). There was nothing on the desk for them to knock off. I distracted Peaches with 2-3 cat toys tossed from where I had left them on the night stand…. oh! That is the other thing I found: cat toys. Peaches is a cat toy freak—most cats ignore them – she hoards them. Under the dresser must be her hiding spot. I sailed 3 at her this morning and she went off in busy-ball bliss instead of terrorizing her sister. That is also the reason a bath mat was under the dresser too – she practices wrestling with rugs and bath mats. So now, my before I go to sleep list includes: get “bath mat out from under desk/dresser” and “find 3 cat toys to distract Peaches in the morning.”

I have left to go in bedroom: clean under bed. (Won’t be as bad as under desk but I am missing quiet a few books and reading glasses.) 1 basket of papers. 1 crate with mail. 1 crate with books and computer manuals and recipe cards. 1 sweater chest to go through and either give away about a drawer’s worth more or find a place to store them. I have an… what is the word, athmema (sp) to storing anything—storing is keeping something for 3 MORE years so you can THEN give it away – so I have to do a very hard painful sort on my sweaters. The big bookcase needs to be dusted. And, a small bookcase (2 shelves) got a quick vacumm a few weeks ago but it needs a thorough dusting.

I would also like to say (this is the worlds longest entry – sorry – I appreciate you staying with me this long) that cleaning up the bedroom and making my desk area livable is only possible because I have put away all my laundry for the first time – maybe ever. I gave away all my laundry baskets to the thrift store but two. If I wash it and dry it I just keep going and put it away now. If I don’t have room to put it away properly, then there must be something in that drawer or rack I haven’t worn in a while that can go in the thrift store bin.

And, helping that goal is the fact that rhere are 2 thrift store bins: one on the front porch and one in the laundry room, and I am using them. I delivered one to the thrift store on Saturday, I dropped 2 more bags off this morning on the way into work.

Yes. I have a bedroom.

Thanks for listening.

I redid my files today. I had set up file folders probably 20 years ago: Car, house, insurance…. only problem was, I kept everything. When I weeded a folder I was going through 10 years worth of paystubs and having to shred or mark out my Social Security Number. ugh!!! Or, the receipt for the water heater (I needed last month!) was in with 999,999 thousand receipts for: dishes, rugs, candlesticks, tv, vcr, etc. etc. etc. UGH is RIGHT!

I have sub-categories now: there are permanent files and toss files. It was not that hard to figure out what to do once I realized there were two—actually three goals needed with a filing system: one to be able to find something, two to be able to throw something away on a timely basis, and three be simple enough to use (read: accessable enough) so that I will put receipts and warranty papers and insurance booklets away when the mail comes in. DON’T know why it has taken me 20-30 years to figure this out.

Here is an example of how I sorted and arranged: If I make a repair to the furnace I need to keep that receipt until the furnace runs out of warranty—10 years. But, if I get a bigger and better furnace I need to keep that receipt forever.

Why? I bought the house for $24,000 in 1983—sans furnace. If I sell, I’ll have to show how much money I have spent to improve the house. Eventually, I’ll have to pay capital gains taxes on appreciation.

I say “eventually” because if I buy another house, the taxes are deferred. The expenses and appreciation is all rolled together again, if I buy yet another house after that…..In my dotage, however, if I move into a apartment, the capital gains may be considerable.

SO improvement receipts I need to keep forever. Maintenance and status quo/replacement items I need to keep until I don’t have the item anymore or its warranty runs out.

All that sounds complicated. But, the filing system comes down to:

Then there are comparable categories for the Garden, the Car, the Taxes: records and receipts. I have a folder to put receipts in for 2005. I am going to keep the folder in a letter file on my desk so it is easy to drop receipts in once a week when I clean out my purse. I’ll need all those bits of paper April 15.

Some things I need to keep forever: retirement records, investment records, receipts for Perrienals and Shrubs for garden…

Some things I can toss when the new thing comes in: the prescription for my glasses, the dogs rabies vaccine certificate, life insurance policy book…

The idea is, nothing I can toss after a year, 2 years, 10 years will be stored in a folder with something I need to keep for a different time frame. You had to read far to get to the critical nut. But that is it. Sorry it took me so long and so many words to figure out how simple it needed to be said.

So, I did this, then filed my desk’s and a dining room table’s worth of papers, one basket’s worth (living room), cleaned out my briefcase, and filed a stack of papers on the end table by the recliner that had been rearranged all over the floor by the cats. I also cleaned out - weeded - the old insurance file into the new insurance folders. Tomorrow maybe I’ll tackle the old “house” folder again. I have two file drawers worth to sort out and weed.

OK now the bad news. I found another crate of papers behind my bed. I thought it was just a box of books. Nope. Mail from last year. (What form of drugs have I been on for the past 2 years?)Plus, gulp. I found a box full of recipe cards, magazines, software manuals, odd bits. I thought it was just computer manuals… nope.

So the paper sorting is down 1 living room basket, 2 file drawers, 1 box very old stuff, 1 crate of “sortof” current mail, 1 basket in bedroom, and 1 box of books and odd bits. This may take me longer than the laundry. Oh! and some folders need weeding into recycling bin in the letter tray on desk: utility bills and bank statements from past 3 years, Visa Statements, etc. It is all in marked folders so they can be tossed quickly—there is no need to keep such folders now there is online banking and statements.

The good news. I can see my desk and my dining room table for the first time in MONTHS.

Thanks for listening.

I read in the book Taming the Paper Tiger that a file cabinet’s drawer worth of papers takes 4 hours to sort. The author recommends just dumping such in the trash without looking. I am missing my truck title and my house deed and survey. Yes. I admit it. So I am sorting instead.

It was several years ago – I was renovating my house when the truck title came and I don’t remember what I did with it. I am sure it is in a “safe place.” My file cabinet was in storage. At the time, I also needed my house deed and survey for the bank to make copies for a loan so… yep. Can’t find them either. SO. I am sorting papers. There are two baskets in my living room that I am working on tonight.

(Plus for a future date: one in the bed room that I need to sort. There is also an archival box of papers from 1989 out on the screen porch that probably could just be tossed.)

I went through 2 bags of mail last night. Current stuff but mostly junk. I had about 10 “YOU ARE APPROVED!” Citibank applications that had to be ripped into little shreds. On one of them was a 800 number to call so I won’t get any of these anymore. These are very dangerous as someone can get them and steal your identity.

I have switched the bank and VISA statements to online only. I have all my bills sent to me over email and my payments drafted. SO mail is pretty much just junk now.

Online payments and setting up bank drafts for my utility bills have saved me much money. I no longer have to worry about overdue fees or (GOD FORBID) turned off utilities. I once came home from Alaska and the water had been turned off. I had been gone for a month – I had paid the bill in advance as the water company was notorious…. but I hadn’t paid enough. It was August, I was jetlagged and adjusting to HUMITITY and HEAT for the first time in a month and I had no water. I actually laughed. I went to bed and slept two days then me and the neighbor hooked up the garden hose so I could take a shower. It costed me $184 that Monday to get the water back on. I worked and worked then to get all the bills on draft then – starting with the water company!

I figured out my monthly bills only come to at the most, $300 per month. So every payday, I leave $300 in the checking account and transfer the rest to the VISA balance, and then, whats left to my savings account. I use the VISA for walking around money: groceries, gas, eating out. If I need extra cash before payday: need to send a check to my nephew for his birthday for example, I can transfer back what I need from savings. I love online banking.

I have a low balance VISA. It may be dangerous to do “walking around money” this way if you have problems with self-control and a $5000 credit limit. I got rid of all the credit cards but this one. If I need more money than it’s credit limit, then I need to find a lower interest loan.

OK I am procrastinating now. I need 2 empty baskets before I go to bed. THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN SITTING HERE SINCE 2001!!! Wish me luck!!!