How do you declutter?

[Telephus44]

I will admit, I'm a Flylady fan and she sends out reminders for "27 Fling Boogies" - just find 27 things to toss or donate. I always have a hard time so once a week I try and find just 5 things. Today it was 6 pieces of plasticware that I had hung onto but haven't used in at least a year. How does everyone else declutter? Do you do it by room or drawer or what?

[homemaker carol]

I'm not a flylady fan at all.

I go room by room every couple months. I also have a rule, something comes in, something goes out. Its much easier to do that way especially when you have kids. Otherwise you'd have tons to declutter all the time.

Its much easier now than it use to be because I've been doing it now for years, ever since I read The Simple Living Guide. Its become second nature to me.

[debbiepittman]

I do flylady some, but don't get the emails.

I do try to throw a lot out. With kids, it seems to pile up horribly.

Debbie

[Englishlady]

I am a fan of Don Aslett so I try very hard NOT to bring in to the house things that do't have a use OR that they replace something.

Just today I have been sorting out old finanical papers & documents to streamline them. Last week I shredded 5 big bags of similar documents (I am afraid I have let my deadline for this slide :o I used to do it every January.

Yesterday I sorted out all my Interior Design files , I found that looking through them, most of the ideas are already in my head ;) so I didn't really need to keep pictures on file.

I am going through a MAJOR de-junk, even though, I have been ( in theory) de-cluttering for quite some time now!

I have even tamed & organised my clothes & worked out a way of getting rid of things that " you just can't part with"!.........maybe more on that later ;)

Back to the de-junking................ :D

[AmyBoz]

Mmmm...Don Aslett. Love him!

I declutter as part of my daily life. Along with CJ's "if you bring something in, something else must go out" philosophy, I try to make it a point to be in a state of constant decluttering. If I'm leaving a room, I look around and see if there is anything in that room that needs to go where I'm going. I constantly have a grocery bag that I move from room to room to toss out the clutter/trash. When it's full, out to the trash it goes.

[Sara]

I tend to grab a bag and just start tossing. I do drawers and closets when I have some time and just purge purge purge. My new system for mail is perfect. I would love a nicer container than a sterlite type on wheels, but am happy to report that my incoming mail/catalogs/papers/schoolwork issue is solved. It's now contained and neat until I have time to go through things well. Much better than on counters and causing me stress. :)