Every week day in May, I’m challenging my readers to try to find at least 7 things to get rid of. These can be big or small things, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you actually throw them out, sell them, donate them, recycle them, or find someone else who can use them. Think you’re up for the challenge?
I was pretty excited that I decided to clean out one of my office cubby drawers today because I found a sack with items from a previous couponing class I’d taught. In it were some visual aids I was using for the class — like magazines, coupons, and so forth. But at the top of the sack was an example of our grocery cash envelope and in it was $40!!
I had completely forgotten that I’d put that sack in that drawer months ago so I was pretty excited to have my clutter-busting efforts rewarded with $40 in cash today. I can buy quite a few groceries with that. 🙂
Today’s things I got rid of:
- Stack of magazines/old coupons/fliers
- 4 items of clothing
How did your clutter-busting go today? Link up your blog post and/or Instagram pictures below. Or, leave a comment telling us how many things you got rid of. Let’s clear our homes of clutter so we can be more productive and efficient!
40 bucks! Way to go, you!
Today’s declutter success:
a pile of book reviews from the NY Times and other magazines. I recorded the books I want in my account’s book lists on the public library’s web site. This took me two hours. From now on I do this regularly instead of storing all that paper for “when I have time.”
Now to empty the paper recyling bin. Again
7 articles of clothing
I got rid of a stack of old receipts and some expired coupons 🙂
Today’s decluttering success:
1 broken curling iron
2 educational cds
1 lapel pin
Stack of old business cards
3 half used travel size toiletries
Got over my “What If’s” today, as in “What if I need this one day” and finally chucked some stuff I have been saving for way too long.
I think I’ve been thinking about this challenge too much. I had a dream last night about going through the attic at my work and finding all kinds of things to get rid off!
🙂
How exciting! I love it when that happens. I accidentally linked up the wrong link on the first try! Please feel free to delete it!
15 things today-a cookie cutter, a necklace, 2 Xmas ornaments, 2 tennis balls, a pile of coupons, 2 change purses, a small piece of wall art, a batman car, a craft mat, and other random junk I can’t remember
Continued a ruthless decluttering of my closet today! Recently had our third baby in three years, so I’ve been wearing a lot of things I don’t particularly love but work with my pregnant/post pregnant body. I’ve been able to lose some weight and keep it off this time, so I’m slowly buying new clothes. Today I tried everything on and am donating 15 tops and 4 dresses. There is a lot less in my closet, but now I love what’s hanging in there!
I wasn’t going to do anything for the challenge today, but I didn’t want to ruin my streak, so I cleaned out a couple of cubbies above my desk. Not a big haul, but lots of various papers, maps, etc. that went into the recycle bin. Feels good!
Wow! Wish I had found $40 🙂 Over the past 2 days (5/6 & 5/7) I have collected 24 items, mostly clothes, that will be dontated to Goodwill (8 items), the local clothes closet (13 items) or going in the trash (3). Out with the clutter!
I found a nickel on a walk today and was pretty happy-you must have been ecstatic! I cleaned the fridge and pantry today.
I just started this challenge and I’m very excited about it! I’ve been meaning to go through our closets and find items that we can use for a garage sale later in the spring.
Thanks for the motivation and congratulations on your $40 find!
I dread the change over of seasons only because of having to go through the clothes. My kids are very small for their age so I have to try EVERYTHING on!! And they have teeny tiny hips and butts and are short so sizes don’t match. They are 6 years old and my daughter is in 4’s and some 3T shorts!! It’s crazy. My son is a little better but still not his sizes. I think this is the 2nd or 3 summer for my daughter’s wardrobe. And ironically her two year old sister is built completely different and I was trying size 3T tops on her. My husband and I were saying she may pass up the older one and we will be handing down from her!
So in the process I found
1 shirt to trash
13 outgrown
12 to sell
I also went through the sand toys and found 4 items to pitch(broken)
Ooh, sand toys, good idea! I’ll do that later this week.
I had a productive day of getting rid of things!
waffle maker
candle
3 printer cartridges
2 shirts
1 skirt
pantsuit
kids stickers
dissecting pad
magnifying glass
box of slides
dissecting set
2 notebooks
2 old school books
2 composition books
index cards
bible lesson book
beading supplies
Yay for Crystal finding $40!
I forgot to do the challenge yesterday so I got rid of 15 + items today, including old magazines, an old catalog, plus odds and ends from one of my makeup drawers, which yielded a bottle of Estee Lauder foundation I forgot I bought. That’s embarrassing to say considering the price of the foundation. Ouch. But, a lesson learned.
What a wonderful surprise to find that money!
Today I got rid of a bunch of junk mail that was taking up space on the counter. Call me a nerd, but I love cleaned off counters!
Today we donated:
40 items of clothing
10 toys
2 kitchen items
5 little nick nacky things
Instead of a number of items I have a plastic bin that I fill up once a day and drop off at the thrift store. I pass by there almost daily so it’s not a big deal. I still don’t feel a dent has been made but every bit of effort counts!
No money in my hand, but I did bring three things to the consignment shop. If they sell, the $ goes on my account.
Threw out piles of free address labels and a broken magnet
Threw some cereal no one likes in the compost heap
I keep hoping I find some money. What a great find!
Today was Project Day #1 for us since my husband’s semester is over. We cleared out FOUR garbage bags of trash from our bedroom (gross, right?) plus added several things to our donation bin and packed up one box of books for our move. Best of all, we can now vacuum our entire bedroom.
I love finding money when I am cleaning to bad it doesn’t happen more often. Today we sorted through a few boxes on my son’s bookshelf. We will need to work more in this area tomorrow too.
Today the big white truck ca,e and picked up all of my donations! It was pouring down rain and I was afraid they may not come, but it felt so good to have this part of my clutter out of my house and being given away.
Today I have my next group of things to get rid of started.
1. Sunday School book
2.Small diaper
3. 2 candles
4. Nice jar
5. KFC container
$40 is a great reward for a job well done! Very nice incentive…now I’m wondering if I have any money stashed anywhere. I know I’m missing two small cheques that only total $20 or so but knowing that if I keep this up I’m bound to run across them has been a bit of bonus motivation for me!
2 books – Paperback Swap
Old lotion – trash
Hair clips – donate
Bracelet – donate
Pill container – donate
Broken Neti pot – recycle
Congrats on the $40! I once found $50 in traveler’s checks almost a year after I traveled overseas. It was awesome!
I actually wasn’t following this post, but I got rid of a stack of things before I saw this.
Curling irons I don’t use
3 full bottles of mouth wash we don’t use
bunch of garbage
face cleanser I tried once and decided to not use anymore
bar soaps
I even organized a closet that needed to be done for a long time
I’ve been decluttering but not keeping up with the posts. I found $20 on Sunday night. So good to get the clutter out.
I’m getting rid of 3 coupons, a bottom sheet and a pen and marker that don’t work anymore. Nice job on finding money!!!
Forgot to leave the link to my post:
http://purposelyfrugal.com/2013/05/07/decluttering-day-4/#.UYloL_HEv9Q
I cleaned a drawer today too but i did not find any cash 🙁 i cleaned my makeup drawer and got rid of a plastic organizer ( broken) , a bottle of perfume ( very old), a broken emery board. Other items cleared today were a couple of broken toys and 2 empty bubble bottles. 2 plastic flower pots round out the list 🙂
I’ve been finding well over 7 items a day by just cleaning one area….today was one shelf of our not-using-right-now curriculum shelf….found an entire bag of books to sell at our homeschool curriculum sale next month!!
Does it count that I deleted over 80 old work emails? 🙂 I filed all the others and organized my cabinet folders. My inbox looks so pretty and clean now…
I’ll do my real decluttering when I get home from work. Lots of real junk mail to go through…
If it’s junk, I’d count it! Less clutter… even in the inbox!
Huge cleaning out of food in our house. My husband signed up for Slimgenics, huge step for him. We packed up 30 food items we can no longer eat and shared them with our daughter and a family of four. Filled it back up with all kinds of fruit, veggies and protiens.
I just started today and found 50 things to rid from my home!
I didn’t find any money, but your post reminded me of how I used to put a $20 bill in my heavy winter coat pocket each spring, and each winter, when the weather got cold enough for a heavy winter coat, I would find the $20 I planted. I’d always forget about it over the spring/summer months and so, I was always pleasantly surprised to find it. I’d use the $20 to treat myself to a hot chocolate on the way to work and take out for dinner that night.
That’s a great idea! I always dread the winter season and this would be a nice surprise.
You should try it!
Going slow but steady…asked the kids for 7 things again today…..they each came up with well over 7 (which is why I’m not asking them to do it everyday!!). I am in the process of deep cleaning my bedroom….which will be rewarded with a new paint job to match the new comforter set we bought 2 months ago!!!
And I got excited when I found $7. We have been averaging about 20-30 items a day. We have so much stuff. My 7 year old has been begging my husband and I to earn money so at the end of the month we are letting him do a yard sale to earn money then the rest will be off to Goodwill.
Yard Sale with a child is a GREAT idea!! I’m not trying to be stingy or rude, but whenever my mom or I find a garage sale that is basically a kid’s stuff or run by a kid, we don’t haggle and usually send a little extra his way for being so mature as to part with his treasures!! It’s also a fun way to help with math skills, I always wait patiently while a child counts out change 🙂
Awesome! I managed to part with about 10 books this morning.
I found several things in the medicine bin to toss, plus items of clothing to give to Goodwill. I wish things weren’t so busy right now – I could really concentrate on this challenge and make a dent! Summer break is coming, though.
My Mom is my children’s connection to cable shows. She sends them DVDs and Nintendo games. Some of her buys were too mature, unbeknownst to her. So to get rid of them, I’m trading them in to Amazon for some Amazon gift cards! Funner way to declutter.
And Yay! for found money!
Clutter busting for 2 weeks now, I’ve put a number of items on EBay and managed to make $200 from about 8 items! The money is great, but clearing out stuff and making room is amazing and so rewarding!!
That’s awesome!!
Pair of women’s khaki pants
pair of girl’s pj shorts
4 workbooks
belt
tie
lanyard
2 nasty baby dolls-trash
I love finds like that. For me it is usually gift cards.