Things that Have Gone – 19!

Well, I’ve had another little spot of decluttering. In the last month, I’ve put several items on Freecycle. I let go of a large mirror I inherited from a family member that just didn’t seem to suit any room in our house. We cleared out our garage and I let 2 of these double cupboards go, whilst I refurbished one. I also gave away a whole load of odds and ends of wood. People came to collect pieces for so many different reasons and it was great not to send any of it to landfill.

I sold my Sega Master System II and all its games. I had enjoyed it over the years, but it had sat in a box unused for the last 3 years. So it was time to let someone else enjoy the retro gaming. I also sold a vintage kettle and 2 vintage Laura Ashley dresses. I’ll count the items in lots, so that’s 7 items gone – some of them big bundles.

Are you having a January clear out? Why not comment and tell me what you’re up to?

Clearing out clothing

Well, in my minimalist journey- it feels that the time has come to tackle the wardrobes, cupboards and drawers that hold my clothing. I have decided finally, to follow much of the advice I have read. So, I will be turning around my hangers to see which items I actually am wearing. I have also decided to make a start on getting rid of some stuff by getting rid of items with holes in or marks on. Those clothes I have kept for painting, when in fact I am sure I could find something old enough to paint in. And painting happens in different seasons, so I really don’t need to keep shorts and t-shirts, trousers and jumpers! All those just-in-case items need to go!

I have just sold a pair of boots that had seen better days, but were really nice and still had life left in them. I have bought myself a needed replacement. So, from now on I will try to practice the one in, one out theory too. Here are the old faithful boots that I have gone.

In other news, I have also gotten rid of around 50 books, here are just some of them! The Pratchett collection that was my husband’s. They have found a wonderful new home, as a birthday gift to a fan via eBay.

After this, I plan to tackle toiletries and make-up and throw out the items I have that I know have been open too long.

I’ll keep you posted!

Eating the contents of the freezer and cupboards

I’m applying minimalism to every area of my life, step-by-step. I’m currently eating the contents of my freezer and cupboards. My primary motivation is because we are moving house in about a month and we have to empty the fridge and freezer or throw/ give this food away. The budget conscious person in me means that we are trying to eat most of it ourselves. We’ve gone for almost the entire month of June and spent about £80 on food. Our usual budget is £160! Wow- what a  lot of food we have squirreled away! I think we can keep going for at least another fortnight. I am obviously still buying fresh items like fruit and vegetables or milk as needed.

I was brought up with the belief that you should always have one more of something in the cupboard, in-case you run out. Whilst this is good if you suddenly get sick or the weather turns bad and you can’t make it to the shops. It makes for an awful lot of clutter in the cupboards. It also means there is the potential to waste more food because you can’t eat it all before it expires.

Once we have moved, I really want to be more intentional about what goes into my food cupboards. I like the idea of applying minimalism to this area of life. Although, I could not go as far as some people and eat the same food repetitively until it is finished. My husband could! I get bored of food after a couple of days.

For economy’s sake, I also tend to make batches of food and freeze it. This saves on fuel bills, time and makes for some quick and easy meals if we are working late. Whilst I don’t intend to stop doing this- once we move we will live within walking distance of a supermarket, something I’ve never had before! So potentially, I will be able to do smaller shops more often and only buy what we need.  I will also aim to try and buy seasonal and local produce more often, so that I am paying less and not contributing to food miles etc. It’s all about balance.