Sunday, January 12, 2014

365 items in 365 days

365 Items in 365 Days Challenge
I had to really think about this and I can see a couple of you scratching your heads wondering what is there to think about.

I have been trying to declutter for the past 10 years. That is when we moved from the old homestead, in town, of over 2000 sq ft, a full basement and a 2 1/2 car garage that Hubby had packed with so much you had to move things to get in. Every spring I would rent a dumpster and toss the "trash" and donate the rest. He would go to auctions and yard sales and dumpster diving and fill it back up by the following spring.

In 2004 we moved to the country and an 1200 sq ft house with only a garden shed with a lean to.Hubby got a large storage unit and older daughter kept some of the stuff with her at the old homestead.

 In 2008 we moved to an 800 sq ft house with a one car garage , Hubby got 3 storage units because older daughter was starting to declutter stuff in the garage.

In 2010 we moved here with 2000 sq ft house,2 car garage  and the use of a farrowing house and pig house for storage (no pigs) SO Hubby got rid of the storage units.

I THOUGHT I was doing good, we weren't paying out for the storage units any more AND I was sorting through boxes and sacks getting rid of stuff...except what I thought was going to the local thrift shop was actually going out to the farrowing house being put under other things so I wouldn't know they were still there.

But hey, guess what, I have a couple kids that decided Hubby and I could store their stuff also and mentioned it at Christmas that they thought they had sent that with him instead of keeping it, would I please look....OH YEAH.... I looked (no, their stuff wasn't there ) but the stuff that was suppose to be gone was.

SO with this 365 challenge also has to come with rules.

Tuesday is our trash day, so anything needing pitched has to be in the trash can by that morning.

Thursday is our errand day, it will now be the day of drop off to the thrift shop.

Those two things have been added to my weekly routines.

Hubby and I had an open discussion of hoarding and why things need to go. I feel dealing with other family member's hoarding has made him realize he doesn't want our kids to go through what we and the family that had to deal with it has.

THEN I had a discussion with the ones that we are storing things for. They have until the end of June to have their stuff removed from here.I don't mind storing furniture that came from us or the family if they don't have a place to use it (4 out of 5 moved this year) until they decide to either move (3 are already talking of moving) or not keep it any more.BUT other than that, they are going to deal with it.


SO yeah, I had to think about making this a priority.

Blessed Be

Frugal items done

I mended my socks. That's a biggie for me because even though I will mend anything else, socks is something I don't do but Hubby does.

I made apple butter and apple Jelly from the apples given to us from a friend of a friend.

Hubby cut up a 65 lb pumpkin for me to roast and then dehydrate, the last of it will be in the dehydrator this evening. AND I have a couple more that is equal to 50 lbs.

We have ate from the pantry every day.

I ordered heirloom seeds for my garden so I can start saving my own seeds and not spending the money.

Not a big list...or I should say not as big as I would like to see. I think the goal of doing one frugal thing a day will help that.

Blessed be