Decluttering when financially tight

Seashell ↓

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 2:35 pm

So there's the obvious issue of organizing when financially tight -no extra funds for practical or cute bins or storage solutions. I guess this can be taken care of by using junky dollar store bins, or recycled shoe boxes etc. although that totally kills the fun!

My bigger issue though: we have too many toys, books and craft supplies for our small home. However I have very diff ages and stages and various unique hobbies and interests amongst my kids. Even items currently not being used iy"h can be used by my baby / and toddler when they get older. Some hardly used items are literally saviors on long cold Sundays or vacation days.

If I had the budget I'd throw out anything not currently in use. A lot of it was gifts from relatives when our family was younger. Now they'd prefer to spend on the older kids or things for everyone. We also invested in a lot when our oldest few were young. Now with bigger kids and a bigger family with more expenses we can't buy those items again...

Same goes for hand me down clothes, random tools or supplies...

honeymoon

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 2:42 pm

I use the top, hard to reach shelf in each closet for storage.

Clothing that I know I won't ever use again gets donated, stuff I think I might use in the near future goes onto the shelf and things I'm putting away for long term go in my shed.

I constantly move around the toys. I put toys up when I see they're not really used and take it back down after a few months and the kids are excited to it as if it's new.

sub ↓

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 2:46 pm

Dollar tree containers are perfect. If items are in excellent condition but not age appropriate, shoe boxes and grocery boxes are perfect - line them with old tablecloths, tape them up well and label with marker. For added protection put the boxes into garbage bags. Store them under beds or if you have an attic.
My grandkids are using toys their parents used. One grandson has discovered a box of gameboys.
If they are in good condition but not for your kids- give them away.

↑ Seashell ↓

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 2:52 pm

No basement, garage or shed.

We do have an attic with limited space and hard to reach.

I feel like getting rid of stuff adds so much menu has hanefesh. Nothing like clear space. On the other hand a lot of it is good stuff that will likely be used. Scared if I stick it all in the attic won't even remember it's there.

I don't want to have clutter, on the other hand often that clutter is used or needed down the road...

AlwaysGrateful

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 2:56 pm

Seashell, I completely understand where you're coming from. I feel like people who practice "minimalism" (trying to have as few materials things as possible) must not need to be budget-conscious. The number of times that I've saved the day by finding an old box of something that I'm not willing to spend on...throwing things out just doesn't make any sense. And yet, there are so many boxes and it does take time to keep them all organized, and it uses up so much space...

I've literally never bought a new outfit for some of my kids until they reach the teenage years. We have hand-me-downs, take clothes from relatives who are years older and store them for when the time comes, and when everyone is trying to buy new clothes each season, I'm shlepping out a huge box and checking to see which ones fit.

Toys go into storage when the kids get bored of them, or when they're not appropriate for some reason (like a marble run when I have a toddler who will put them in his mouth), and when they come out again a couple of years later, they're brand new to the kids who barely remember them!

Birthday presents from a relative that a child didn't like/already had are kept in their packaging and put away for the day that one of them has a birthday party and needs a present to give...A brand of deoderant that my first teenager tried and didn't like was put away and used when the next teen needed it (about a year later, so it wasn't all that old)...Wires that belonged to something that broke get kept in a drawer, and it's very common for us to not have to replace a wire because we find one in the drawer that fits instead...

↑ sub

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 3:05 pm

If you have time take pictures of items, print them(black and white plain print paper) or jut type lists up. Print 2 copies. Put one list on each corresponding box. Then take the second list- put it in a looseleaf. Place the looseleaf either in the attic or kitchen or book shelf. Look through it every once and a while to see if you need anything from there.

lamplighter ↓

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 3:34 pm

This is my husbands tayna about decluttering. If your budget is endless so cutting down to what you actually need now works well but if you have to buy those things again later when you need them or those things can be used later in another way to save money then decluttering is an expensive habit.

↑ lamplighter

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 3:37 pm

The container concept is helpful. Chose a space or place for that it's type. You can keep as many fit there. If it doesn't fit anymore than get rid of one to fit that new one in. A house doesn't have endless space, neither does each shelf or drawer or closet. This container concept helps with a boundary around how much to store.

write4right

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 3:41 pm

Stars wrote:

Can you rent a storage unit?

Renting a storage unit will almost inevitably cost you more than you save by saving the items. And that's what I tell myself.

How much does clutter cost in terms of my time? Energy? If I can save myself an hour of cleaning help a week by decluttering, that's money. If I spend less time completing my kitchen and then can spend more time making things from scratch, that's also money.

I still save a lot more than many people do. Because decluttering can get very expensive. But this is the guideline that I use sometimes.

↑ tichellady

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 3:45 pm

lamplighter wrote:

Depends how much you value your space. If you are suffering from too much stuff then it’s worth it. If you don’t mind and it’s not effecting your sanity then you don’t need to do it

↑ Seashell ↓

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 4:29 pm

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

This is so validating, exactly how I feel

↑ Seashell ↓

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 4:30 pm

lamplighter wrote:

Right exactly!

↑ Seashell

Tue, Nov 26 2024, 4:31 pm

tichellady wrote:

Depends how much you value your space. If you are suffering from too much stuff then it’s worth it. If you don’t mind and it’s not effecting your sanity then you don’t need to do it

So it's somewhere in the middle, feel like we're in the gray area with this...