When company is coming, take your clutter items and box them up for sorting at a later time. This saves me time when I am rushed for cleaning, as I can sort through the box while watching TV or a good rainy day project. Now if I were more organized I wouldn't have the clutter. Just don't forget to sort through the box or you will end up with a closet full of clutter boxes!
By Kim
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This is a good idea and one we've had to do when pressed for time and someone is coming; however we never seem to get to the "clutter boxes". We've got a basement, garage and spare bedroom full of junk. I like the idea of freecycle and even joined but does seem like a bit more trouble to go through than simply calling up Salvation Army, Goodwill or some other charity that comes to the house to take things. I have also been dropping off bags of clothes and shoes in boxes in our area. There has to come the time when you just have to get rid of things. We have much more to get rid of. I keep saying I want to sell it on ebay or have a garage sale but the clutter just keeps mounting. I think I'd feel so good to have less "stuff" that it wouldn't matter whether or not I made a few bucks on it!
The clutter boxes sound good to me if you have children and there are lots of toys to quickly grab before guests arrive. I just prefer to have less clutter to deal with, we burn with wood all winter and cleaning the soot is more of a problem than it is worth. I am getting ready to have a yard sale to get rid of odds and ends; I figure what have I got to lose? Sell some stuff and make a few dollars, all it cost me was the four dollar ad in the newspaper.
Paula: yes that's good advice....we have never gotten rid of the kid's more babyish toys and all that big Little Tikes stuff....so was thinking of doing a Late Summer or Fall garage sale. We like to take the kids to the indoor waterpark resorts and they can be pricey, so the money could go towards that!
My house is listed for sale and I am living here also. So, I have to be ready to show the house and that means keeping it looking presentable. Today I got the bright idea to take a suitcase (small one) and put all my paperwork from my cluttered desk in it.
I've used this system for years with a refinement-once a week I put everything that is still in the clutter basket into a wheelie bin out in the garage. If you're looking for something at my house you either rescue it before the week is up, or rescue it from the wheelie bin later.
Then every six months I go through the wheelie bin and decide what can be shredded, burned, recycled, given to charity, or sold-and then I do it-shred, burn, recycle, give away, or sell. What's left usually goes out with the rubbish.
Rarely, very rarely, do we say "OH! That's where that went!" or "Wow, forgot all about that, that's a family heirloom!" Usually if it's important or needed, it's been rescued by the sixth month, so what's left in the wheelie bin is genuine clutter.
We really are in the habit of 'shopping' the wheelie bin first, lol, it has saved us money.
Like Debbie, I never seem to get round to the sorting ....
Marg from England.
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