Monday, September 12, 2016

Plagues Upon the Disorganized


Yesterday was even more beautiful weather wise than Saturday-not fall like at all but pure summer bliss. Did DH and I enjoy any of it though? Nope. Between ripping out carpet and finally tackling under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and drawers, we ate up our Sunday. We are the truly unorganized and only seem to start getting our shit together when faced with deadlines. This time, we may have bitten off more than we can chew in the short window remaining. It's not that our house screams hoarders, but it yells chaos and clutter. The amount of crap that had to be moved to pull up the carpet was obscene, and we didn't really do a thorough job of cleaning it out-just moved a lot of things around. I'll spend a few hours each night bagging, boxing, and hauling things to the garbage the garage, or Goodwill. Another problem though, the garage won't hold much more crap either. That needs to be gone through and purged, but will need to wait until spring. 

I have read and tested dozens of get organized books and have whipped this place into a nice state several times over the last two and a half decades, but we just don't keep it up. I see the plague the disorganization has on my household. When we finally tackle these jobs, I see the money waste. Rolls of t.p. and paper towels were crammed under the vanity sink, damp from something or other spilled on them, brand new but dried out deodorant sticks, and cleanser canisters that were a solid chunk, all useless now, as a few examples. The needless buying of items I didn't know we had. The DD's and I are stocked up on razors for a years based on what I found, if I don't manage to clutter up the drawers again. 

I envy the organized and feel like my plight in life is to be cursed with household mess. I've dabbled in the minimalist method, but the only hope for me would be to literally take it on in full, purging everything but the bare essentials. Honestly, I can't see that happening, but with a good clean in certain areas, I see the layers of our life plagued with consumerism and too much stuff. I think how would we ever be able to move again? .As much as I was giddy with my flip flop haul, it would be pretty stupid if come next summer I couldn't find any of the pairs.We need to downsize now. Who else out there is a chronic clutter bug? Does it impair your quality of life? Did you break your cycle and is there hope for me?


11 comments:

  1. Yes!

    I am a reformed hoarder, and not a naturally tidy or organised person it can be done, but it is hard. It did impair my life, I was a prisoner in my own home at times, it wasn't fun.

    It took me the best part of a year to clear the junk from my house, and another year to get into good routines and to get things as I wanted them. Keep chipping away, you can do it.

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement and sharing that it can be done. I guess a month of pain now, and then another next spring to tackle the garage will be worth it. I'd love to know your tools to stay up on it-reforming is not my strong suit.

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    2. It's over 10 years since I cleared my house and although it may cause eye-rolling I used the Flylady techniques.

      I now love nothing more than a good decluttering session now I know that stuff can't control me, but I still have a set of rules. As someone else mentioned don't stash things, when they have to go get them out, whether you drop them somewhere or someone collects.

      You're also right, if you get rid of something then you'll almost certainly be able to borrow, hire or buy that thing again, so no need to keep a ton of stuff just incase!

      My main tip though is to know what you have, what you want/need (I keep lists on my phone) and to not overthink things - just do it, and if you do it before the need becomes apparent then it should be plain sailing! Hope that makes sense.

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  2. I am not really a hoarder, but I do tend to over buy. One day I sat myself down and declared with the exception of items we use daily, I would not buy in bulk again. (This does not apply to food storage. I do keep a large supply of foods on hand)
    I so stock up on toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent and fabric softener, soap and shampoo. Other than that I started keeping just 1 item in reserve. i.e. I have the deodorant I am currently using and 1 back up. I never go beyond the one back up anymore and it has made life so much easier.
    I also go through the house each week and get rid of 10 unnecessary items. Instead of a huge purge it is an ongoing one. I keep all the Goodwill items in a box in the back of my car and once a month I make a run there (unless one of the door to door pick ups call, then they get the donation). I don't do well with huge tasks and I know me well enough to know I don't so I keep them small. That way I finish them instead of my attentions being drawn elsewhere. (Ask me how many times I have started cleaning something only to find a set of charcoals or pens, then stopped to draw_ for hours.)

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    1. Other than TP and Paper towels, I didn't think I had over bought-this was pure disorganization. I like your ideas-10 things a week, plus keeping a donate box ready. I try the one thing in, two things out, but have not been very successful at getting things down. Well, we have the tile guy coming on Thursday, so all has to be purged form the lower family room-my crazy deadlines.

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  3. I wish I was there, I love to clean and organize. I think I may be the odd one out of the bunch of us.
    If I may give you a hint, don't throw stuff in the garage ever. Take it to the car and load it up. That will force you to go to Goodwill. But then again, I can't say much about the garage because Den is in charge of it. I would pitch 90% of what is in there.And when I say that to Den, he kicks me out.

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    1. I wish you were here too! Much that is in the garage is stuff that is used-problem is too much stuff inside the house that is not used!Good will is my friend-have to remember that, and just give , give , give, knowing if I over give, they probably would sell it back to me, and a good lesson for being better organized, right?

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    2. I can barely get into my attic room at the moment. It's not just the sheer volume of stuff, it's the fact that nothing has been put away properly for months. It is beginning to get me down, so I'm going to tackle it in bite size chunks as and when I have a little free time. I've done a bit this week, but am currently decorating the hallway. I will be very glad when it is finished as we have dozens of pictures for our staircase wall taking up a large amount of floor space in the attic room. I feel like I am doing one of those puzzles where you shuffle the pieces around until you get them in the right place and make a picture!

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    3. Oh gosh-I so can relate.DH loves art,and no Thrift sales so a heavy financial investment, but we have so many pieces in boxes, taking up room in the extra bedroom. Better than the dining room I guess. Once we get the new tile laid next week, I am going to take a careful ook at what is on the walls, and get what we want up, and the rest down and resold or given away.

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  4. Knock the garage down and build a new extension and convert the loft works every time lol

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    1. DH would fill and the adult kids would find more to store at home. Oh how we need to downsize what we keep.

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