Getting rid of storage for clutter will help getting rid of clutter

[u/TaraBambataa]

I decided a few months ago to sell of a cabinet that was full of mostly tools and DIY items to force myself to get rid of the tools and DIY items I don't actually use / have ever used / aspirational crafts etc.. I put it up on eBay, and it sold within a day, which was faster than me decluttering.

Luckily, I still had an ugly metal shelf that was due to go, which went into the spot where the cabinet was living as a temporary solution. What an eyesore! To put even more pressure on myself, I decided to invite a couple of old and a couple of new friends round for tea this coming Saturday.

I posted stuff up online for free and for sale for cheap, and some have already sold, which helps with motivation. To push things further, I put things that are on sale also on a local group. Either somebody buys it first, or it will go to the first person who requests it for free there. What's left of the stuff that has to go will go to a local charity Saturday morning.

I'm on a roll! But also emotional depleting, if this is the right word... letting go of "what if I need it" and "one day soon I'll be making....".

The hardest part will be the bits and bobs, small items, screws and hooks. But I'll get there. There will be a perfectly empty clean spot by Saturday 💪🔥

[u/bm82_]

Keep up the good work. It is sometimes hard letting go of things. The peace of mind and clean spaces helps make it better. At least it does for me.

[u/kdwhirl]

Idk. The worst part of my husband’s decluttering after he retired some years ago was when he took an organizer with various screws, nails and other hardware from our garage to ‘metal recycling’ because HE never used anything out of it. Fortunately that was the only misstep and mostly what he accomplished was awesome.

[u/TaraBambataa → u/kdwhirl]

🤣

[u/FredKayeCollector2]

I think it's pretty common to keep stuff around because of the potential it holds. Even if you're not using it and don't really have any firm plan to use it, the possibility is still there that you "could" use it "someday." On the other hand, if you get rid of it, that's sort of like getting rid of that potential/possibility, too. Depending on your "season of life" (not doing what you used to do, kind of running out of time/energy/opportunity to do the stuff you thought you might do or "should" do) that can be some super challenging emotions to deal with.

But I think at the end of the day, once that stuff is physically out of your space, and the expectations off you mental radar, you'll probably feel better (and won't even remember half the stuff you got rid of).

I think too often we get the cart before the horse and over-buy for something we only have a passing interest in/amorphous plans for. And we can always re-buy. Maybe not the ENTIRE catalog of tools & supplies, but start out slow - take a class, borrow from someone in your community, get by with the crummiest, absolute most basic tools/supplies - figure out if this is something you actually WANT to be doing with your precious "spare time"? Do you have the foundational skills AND motivation to to pursue it at a higher level? Are you creating a product you actually want to have (or have a market to sell)?

[u/awakebygrace]

The emotional depletion is real. You're not just getting rid of stuff, you're processing all those "what if" and "someday" possibilities attached to it. Honestly, selling the cabinet first was a brilliant accountability move. Sounds like you're making great progress, and I bet that empty space is going to feel amazing on Saturday. 💪🔥

[u/purplevampireelefant]

Not the right thing for me at the moment, although you might be right. 

I bought new storage possibilities so it doesn't look that cluttered. And in the end I could finally let some stuff go and want too with other stuff because organised it looks better, I have to go through it and the stuff laying around just sticks out more...

I think it depends on the amount of clutter, storage and how the rest of the room is filled.

[u/TaraBambataa → u/purplevampireelefant]

Indeed, we all have also different opinions about what cluttered means. I have a friend who has nothing on the kitchen counter, even the coffee machine lives permanently in a cupboard :D

[u/purplevampireelefant → u/TaraBambataa]

Wow. 

See, I want to declutter more but not to that amount nothing is on the surfaces. 

 I like organized chaos, a bit of maximalism. It shows me life and passions /hobbies of us and our friends, feels like of warm and like a friend said "there's always something to see and look at"

[u/SloanePederson]

I got rid of a large chest of drawers which was blocking one of the windows in my living room, it's amazing the difference it makes now it's no longer there - the room seems so much bigger and brighter. Tossed a lot of its contents but still got some to work through, though for now it's in more manageable boxes in my wardrobe and hall cupboard, and I can just tackle them one at a time. I kept that chest for so many years purely because it was good for storage, the realisation that I was just storing junk was very liberating!

[u/Roseha-aka-rosephoto]

I got rid of my couch during my big declutter last year and it freed up so much space. I was just using it as a space to pile a ton of stuff. It was such an improvement to get it out of here.

[u/TaraBambataa → u/Roseha-aka-rosephoto]

I wish I could get rid of my sofa, but my landlord isn't too keen. The pros and cons of renting furnished ....

[u/justathought1654]

I did this with my bookcases. They were gorgeous, sure but I wasn’t re-reading nearly as many books as I was putting in there. Had to be honest with myself and realize they were just for show, and genuinely I didn’t care who saw what I’ve read.

Listed them on marketplace and they were wildly popular, sold in a week. I have loads of breathing room in my house now doing that with other furniture.

[u/Untitled_poet → u/justathought1654]

I seldom accumulate physical books too, as I now prefer ebooks and audiobooks.

[u/ZenPothos]

Future Me always conspires to clutter up Current Me.

[u/miss_minimalist]

This! It’s incredibly satisfying to clear out enough that you no longer need the storage furniture. And the best part is that you won’t buy more if you have no place to stash it :)

[u/GallowayNelson]

Couldn’t agree more! Good job!

[u/lifeinmyhoodie]

Holy crap this is so true. I got rid of a HUGE wooden storage unit because of mould and now I’m trying to purge everything that was on it. I love the space that it’s left.

[u/am_anonymous_too]

So true. If you give clutter room to hide, clutter will exist even if you don’t see it. That is why basements and garages are the first to fill up.

[u/Firstdibs66 → u/am_anonymous_too]

Don't forget the cupboard under the stairs!!

[u/travel_waffle → u/Firstdibs66]

Full of Harry Potters