Spring clean / Life laundry etc : can you give examples of things you'd DEFINITELY keep/throw away?

Question

What would you/have you done with the following :

Books you've read / letters you've been sent / CDs you don't listen to / school or college work / etc etc etc

Plus any other examples...

Thanks

Answer 1

Clutter is a pet peeve of mine. I often am oganized to a fault. I'll end up throwing things out I should've kept.
I try to go by this system:

Dishes/Kitchen Utensils - If I have new ones, donate the old set, otherwise it's over crowded in the drawers and cabinets.

Clothes - If I haven't worn it (or my kids/hubby) the last season I could've used it, donate it

Cards - I save meaningful ones from my husband, and I try to save a few from each child's birthday/baptism, etc, and one outfit from when they were infants so I have some things to show them as keepsakes, but you can't save all of it!
And pics are more imprtant to save!!!

My son's art work - I save the real meaningful stuff like the mother's day card he made me, etc. but most of it I toss after hanging it up for a while

Magazines - only keep a month, you'll always get more

House decorations in your closet or attic - unless it's something totally special, sell it or donate it if it's just sitting in a closet or attic. You'll most likely never feel the urge to display it again, by the time you do, it's out of style or you want something else!

Books - I LOVE to read, but I try to only keep the hardcover books that I loved. The rest I take to a book shop. I can exchange them and all the paperbacks for store credit to buy more books. Unless you think you'll read it again, there's no point in keeping a million paperbacks.
You could always sell 10-15 at a time in ebay for a few bucks, make a little side money for all the stuff you feel guilty about throwing out.
One's person's junk is another's treasure.

Answer 2

I have a hard time trowing things away. But lately have gotten a lot better at giving away because your house starts to look like a dump if you can't fit all the stuff in the closets. LOL! Letters that are personal, I throw in the fireplace. All other papers go in the recycling except unused stationary, which can be donated, or what I usually do is give away anything that has any use on Freecycle.org. Love this site! I keep reference books for future reference, but give away fiction, because reality is, you're probably not gonna read it again. Books currently on best seller lists, or anything with high value, I try selling on e-bay or craigslist. If no luck, then freecycle! It feels good to have a clean house not full of junk that you never use or even look at, and you have a place in your closets to store your cameras, laptops, clothes, etc.

Answer 3

Books I've read I would give to friends or try to sell on ebay, failing that, I would donate to a charity shop. Letters is more difficult, I don't actually have that many but tend to keep them for sentimental reasons (but not if they're from an ex and I've a new other half!), CDs I would probably try to sell on ebay or give to a charity shop. Old clothes and shoes would go on ebay and if didn't sell I would donate to charity. I keep way too much stuff and need to be more disciplined in throwing stuff away but it's just not me. If you've got the room why not keep it I say?!

Answer 4

If The item conjures up some fabulous memory such as a letter from an old bf asking me tolove him forever I keep it -- butif theletter is just hum-drum I pitch it. Cd's I teach dance so I have over 3,000 CD's and am still collecting-lol. Books I have read I always pass these along except for myfavorite book as a child(the black stallion)which I gave to mydaughter and her favorite book as a kid (greeneggs and ham) which I am saving for myfirst grandchild. I try not to keep everything as you really can get bogged down in clutter. I try to sell things that I nouse butcould bemoneyin the bank: i.e., old jewelry and ifyouarea redneck -- that car inthe yard on the blocks could be wortha couple of hundred-lol- goodluck -k-

Answer 5

My basic rule of thumb is that if I haven't looked at it, looked for it, used it, thought about it in 6 months or more, and its not a special keepsake of some sort, it needs to go.

Of course there's always exceptions to the rule :) If you are very torn about an item, set it aside in a specific spot. When you are all done with spring cleaning, go through those items. If there's a lot of them, you are a pack rat. If there's just a few, you probably did a pretty good job and can let yourself keep those few :)

Happy spring cleaning!

Answer 6

My in demand is Beltane via a techniques. The Earth is blooming and starting to be. each and every thing seems so clean and new. the days are vibrant and heat and only feels "surprising". on a similar time as I have fun Samhain as my New year, by some ability I constantly experience Beltane is a rebirth for me in my view. i'm able to burdens and stress and be "loose" with the intention to communicate. I additionally constantly take part in dancing the might Pole, that's some thing very particular to me using fact it became my first ever ritual. i assume it constantly jogs my memory of laying off my previous self, and being extra lower back into my new existence as a pagan. it is amazingly annoying to describe in a manner that others will understand. besides! large question! vibrant advantages! Edit: "those 2 cases of year are as quickly as I seem maximum energetic and assured, and easily "severe on existence." Why do you think of it is? i might say Beltane and yuletide, yet thats only me.

Answer 7

•old holiday cards
•papers or clutter in utility drawer
•old bills - paper shred them
•shoes you don't wear
•old pillows
•magazines
•catalogs
•go through refrigerator and empty expired stuff
•old makeup or hair items not used
•underwear/bras not used
•if you have a car, clean that too

Answer 8

I once heard to get rid of any clothes you haven't worn in the last year.

I try to apply the same thing to other things; if I haven't used it in a year I get rid of it.

Answer 9

everything goes into three piles charity, bin and maybe the maybe gets put into a box for a year and if i dont use anything in a year then it goes to charity or bin