Nothing lights a fire under your arse like making a public proclamation that you’re going to get rid of 100 things. So even though we’re not moving until mid-December, we made our way from room to room paring down every single thing that we don’t love/need/use. The mantra as we went? No mercy. Because nothing is worse than packing, moving, and unpacking things that aren’t worth the time they took to transport or the space they’re eating up in the new place.
Here’s our getting-rid-of-it office pile:
Then we tackled the kitchen (Clara helped):
Here’s our outgoing kitchen pile (what you don’t see are a bunch of baskets and towels on the floor):
And here’s our den’s see-ya-later pile (cry not for the board games, they were doubles so we still have a copy of each one):
Our garage to-go pile:
Our basement done-zo pile:
And our big bedroom buh-bye pile (minus the baby and the dog of course- they stay):
And now for the full list of purged items:
- 11 pairs of shoes (10 of mine, one of John’s)
- 36 books (10 of which were cookbooks)
- 10 video tapes & DVDS
- 1 alarm clock
- 1 computer mouse
- countless padded envelopes & mailing tubes (from the days of our online print shop)
- 6 board games (some of which we had two identical versions, so we got rid of one)
- 2 yoga mats
- 1 radio
- 1 stocking
- 2 faux pumpkins
- 1 lamp
- 4 pillows
- 1 mirror
- 5 frames
- 54 items of clothing (including coats, hats, ties, tees, jeans, shirts, socks, etc)
- 4 plastic plates
- 6 ceramic plates
- 1 power screwdriver
- 4 outdoor chairs
- 2 welcome mats
- 1 rug
- 2 baskets of faux plants (they lived in the not-sunny-enough-for-real-plants basement)
- 1 floor lamp
- 4 plant pots
- 6 garden hooks
- 1 stencil
- 1 frisbee
- 4 old quarts of paint
- 2 buckets
- 2 metal tins (we came up with a new diaper & wipe disposal system- more details soon)
- 1 sprinkler
- 1 trash can
- 1 fabric basket
- 1 dark wicker basket
- 5 bath towels
- 1 nursing cover
- 8 baby toys & feeding supplies
- 4 glass cups
- 3 vases
- 4 pieces of faux fruit
- 8 wine glasses
- 8 mugs
- GRAND TOTAL: 222 items
Saweeeeeeeet. I mean on one hand it’s kind of embarrassing to admit that we were storing all that excess but boy does it feel good to get rid of it. Yup, that’s right. It’s all out of our house already – thanks to donating and selling every last item (we had an impromptu moving sale this weekend while we still had some steam and that no mercy attitude). We feared if things sat around for a while before we had a chance to donate or sell them we might have changed our minds and kept things that we didn’t need. And you know I have the patience of a 5 year old, right? More of those get-it-gone details coming soon.
What have you guys been purging? Have you identified any problem areas? We definitely held onto lots of books and clothes that we had no need for, but we were also surprised how many unnecessary kitchen items we were hoarding (many of which we had used exactly zero times).
Cate says
We tackled the 100 (actually 134) items this weekend. I was also a little embarrassed how easy it was to get rid of all that stuff. It feels so good knowing my closet is clutter free. We set a goal to hit 200 and I think we are going to make it. Thanks for the inspiration and good luck with the move :)
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
Yeah, I don’t get receipts for stuff I’ve donated; I just can’t be bothered. But I love to donate things.
we LOVE to declutter here. I’m surprised that we keep finding things. I’m surprised you guys found 200+ things; like others said, you sure had everything tucked away! :-)
Paige says
Snap! You guys are good! We’ve really pared down our closets and the space under the bed, but now I think we need to tackle the crap on our cars! I know it’s not really part of the house, but we’ve kind of turned our trunks into mobile storage units. Whoopsies!
eileen marie says
WOW. You are lighting a fire under my arse! (I wish I lived in your neck of the woods so I could hoard some of your beautiful discarded possessions! One man’s trash…) I love the itemized list as well!
For Emily who was asking about receipts, may I share a couple of tips (that I don’t always follow!)? a) There is a list of what items are valued at on this site: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/money-guides/tax-valuation-guide-for-donated-goods.aspx Things are surprisingly valued quite high! b) Keep a typed list of all that you donate & their value. Drop off a copy with the charity and staple another copy to your receipt. Voila -the charity gets their documentation & you are all set for tax season. Below is a helpful site to determine if all of that extra work is worth it: http://www.moneybluebook.com/how-to-value-your-clothing-donations-and-get-a-tax-deduction/
eileen marie says
PS: I said happy birthday to the wrong person in the Target post. :( Happy birthday,JOHN. You are exactly 1 month younger than my husband. :)
OwningSingle says
Great work. I’ve been working on my closests this week then I REALLY need to move to the kitchen. There are all kinds of things in there that I can stand to throw out. I would love to get to a point where I love every single thing in my house… except bills that is.
mandy says
My husband and I are both teachers, both were English majors, both hold multiple degrees–needless to say, we have a TON of books! We managed to donate/return to their owners over 100 of them! I am proud of us! We have a hard time letting go of books….and now the built in bookshelves in the soon-to-be-baby’s-room have space!!!
Dana @ House*Tweaking says
Nothing makes me happier than getting rid of stuff THAN seeing other people get rid of stuff. YIPPPEEEE! Handy Hubby cleaned out his side of the closet this weekend. That means closet organization and dresser donating…here we come!
Erica says
We had a bedroom purging day this weekend. Got rid of tons of clothes that are too big and I’m tired of looking frumpy in. Who knew that losing a bunch of weight could be so much fun?! Also purged some “will never use” yarn from the yarn/fabric *gasp* closet.
Jessica F. says
That’s amazing! I bet it feels just wonderful knowing all that “stuff” is gone! Inspires me to tackle 100 things. Seems like a lot but I’m sure it adds up quick. Thanks for the inspiration :)
Holly Alberts says
Baby #2 made us realize our cottage is waaaaaaay too small for all four of us. We are quick to purge any colorful plastic playthings the moment they are outgrown. We just removed the high chair from the dining room, what a sad day since it’s been there through two kids.
Anna says
I feel you pain! When we moved here (11 years ago), we must have taken several truck loads our local Goodwill and to the dump. I swear, I’m never, ever moving agian.
Sidenote: I have that very same radio that’s in your basement done-zo pile! It’s been banished to the basement here as well!
Monika says
Hey guys,
Great job on the purging! 100 items sounded tough but you blew past your goal no problem.
I was wondering, do you find it surprising how many people commenting are interested in owning your stuff?
Look forward to more moving related posts soon!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Monika,
Yes, I guess we are surprised at the thought of people wanting our cast offs! But they say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and we shop at enough yard sales and thrift stores to know that’s true!
xoxo,
s
Hoshums says
I’m gonna be honest… those little hand-shaped bookends? I’ve wanted those for awhile.
And I could probably do with a couple more lamps. My apartment totally lacks in the lighting department.
But lemme tell you, I’m impressed with this overhaul! I have so much trouble getting rid of things, and I’ve got a HUGE move soon…
I have yet to get rid of any of it! I keep telling myself “Oh, I’ll get around to it eventually…”
–but then I never do!
Congrats, guys!
Hoshums says
Oh, also: diggin’ what a creeper Burger is! He must ADORE that bed of yours with the amount of pictures I’ve seen with him on it! Haha.
:)
apryl says
My husband and I just moved (two months ago) into a new house and I’ve spent the past few days getting rid of A LOT of things that we didn’t need. All I can say is everyone needs to edit their bedrooms, closets, offices, garages, etc. There were so many things that I didn’t need to move from our old house but I did.
Kel says
Books are the hardest thing for me to part with. I do love how they fill a shelf but I rearly read a book for the 2nd time. Right now I’m trying the approach of swapping books, that way my collection doesn’t expand and I use(read) what fills the shelves.
Reeve says
what a great idea! I think my roomie and I should definitely give it a try!
jodanders says
Can I come to your garage sale?? I can find 50 things in your throw out pile that would look amazing in my house:)
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry- everything’s already gone! As we mentioned in the post, we already had our moving sale this weekend and donated everything that didn’t sell!
xo,
s
michelle says
Good for you! I wish I could declutter half that stuff. It seems so hard for me to get rid of anything and yet you guys have no problem getting rid of great stuff, way to go!
LaRae says
Great idea setting a goal to get rid of things! I had a few questions though.
When you post your listings on Craigslist, do you just write a general “moving sale” or do you list out items you have available to sell? Post pictures? I’m trying to think of the best way to conjure up some business for ours! :)
Secondly, how did you get around the idea of not thinking “we might need this in the new house?!” Right before we moved, we purged a ton of things but it was hard to let go some some because I thought “I could use this in the new house”….it’s still in a box in the basement haha!
Love y’alls blog…I understand the privacy issue! Thanks for sharing a ton, already!
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t have any pictures we just described some of the categories of things that we’d be selling (kitchen items, outdoor furniture, clothing, shoes, baby stuff, holiday stuff, decorative accessories, etc). As for getting rid of things, if we didn’t use them in this house, we figure we won’t use them in the new house. Any item we had forgotten about or thought it wasn’t worth moving got the boot. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
casey says
haha i literally said out loud omg! they are not getting rid of scategories!!!! then i kept reading lol
Alexis Raphael says
I’m a Target wooman!!
Chrissa says
Speaking of Target, that lamp on your kitchen counter? It’s one of my FAVORITE Target Items ever!
PS-If you want to pull on online sale, email me, I will totally buy it from you. Just sayin’
Thanks, J&S!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chrissa,
So sorry- we already had our sale this weekend (see today’s post) and it sold!
xo,
s
Molly says
Hooray for you!! What an inspiration!!
Kristin Dennis says
Getting rid of items in my home that I don’t need or use makes me SO happy but seeing other people do it too not only continues to inspire me but makes me giddy with excitement!!
I’ve been a subscriber to your site for awhile now and I feel confident in saying you two are the best “purgers” ever!! In fact it’s because of the two of you that I donated 4 extra-large black garbage bags full of clothes, shoes, etc. from a major closet overhaul!
Congrats on all the purging and surpassing your goal!! You guys rock in more ways than one!!!
p.s. I know I don’t have to tell you this (b/c you already know lol) but Clara makes the absolute cutest facial expressions (ie. the one above) she cracks me up! :)
Becka Robinson says
222 is our lucky number. And also part of our business name. ;)
Kristi says
Wow that is amazing! I am always getting rid of stuff but this makes me want to go through my whole house and purge purge purge!
Jan says
Uh – can I have the lamp??? :-)
Are you having a garage sale? Or are you donating all of it? Whatever you do, GOOD FOR YOU!! Purging is so cathartic – it’s amazing how little we can do with, and how much we can do without. ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jan,
Just read the bottom of this very post for that info. We actually already had the sale (and posted about it this morning).
xo,
s
Jenna says
Holy COW! I can’t believe you guys are getting rid of all that wonderful stuff. There’s no doubt we have similar taste, because al lot of the items I see in pictures of your house, I already have or need to go right out and find, but also because I would have probably bought your entire garage sale!
Jasiri says
I have been doing a little organizing and purging myself in my home and you are definitely right, it feels GREAT! I’ve been taking it a little slow going from room to room putting things in order and just letting go of the things that I have no intention of using. It really feels good to know that I’ve accomplished this. Still have a way to go though in terms of letting go some things because honestly I’m still holding onto some things (with good reason :-)) but I’m getting better everyday!
annamarie says
we had a huge house purging this weekend that we’re still working through.
i’m good at getting rid of the broken/not used anymore items. the hardest part for me are the sentimental things that we don’t love anymore but have meaning.
any advice on how to handle these items?
YoungHouseLove says
Take pictures! And remember them as amazing items after the photo session by donating or selling them (instead of hanging onto them and resenting them for the space they take up and the don’t-know-what-to-do-with-them feeling they evoke). At least that’s what works for us!
xo,
s
Cait says
Looks like your items made for a fabulous yard sale! Wish I could find one that had finds like yours! :) Oh how good it feels to get rid of “stuff”!
Tanya says
Whaa?? Didn’t the subway print hold some sort of sentimental value for you? I think you wrote about it, didn’t you? Sorry, I think I’m sometimes too sentimental for my own good. :) Last month I went through my closet and purged two bags of clothes. I was quite proud of that, considering some of the stuff was from when I was in high school! Baby steps, right? Seriously, though, we’re going to be selling our house in the spring so I’d do well to purge as much as possible before then. Thanks for being so inspiring, guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tanya,
That frame always bugged us because it wasn’t a glass frame, it was plastic, and it was scratched pretty early on so it looked so cheap. We loved the print and debated removing it and reframing it, but in the end we had photos of it and we enjoyed it for years in our home but we were ready to let it go. We like to leave room for new stuff, and the only way to do that is to pass some of the old stuff that no longer holds as much meaning on to other people (by donating or selling it) so we don’t end up in a crowded house full of stuff we don’t love.
xo,
s
Shaundra Coleman says
Great! I too will be moving after the first of the year and usually have no problem getting rid of stuff. But what to do with those cards I recevied from my wedding (June of this year)…college graduation…bridal shower…that is a challenge? Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Shaundra,
We have a one shoe box rule for sentimental things like cards, ticket stubs, and other small memories. If they don’t fit into the shoe box, we cull things down. So no matter how many new things we amass we have to get rid of some old things (so we don’t end up with ten shoe boxes worth of cards and paper things that we’ll never go through anyway). Keeping the collection lean means that we keep just the most meaningful things, and since it’s not too much to store or go through, we actually look at everything and enjoy it more often. Definitely a perk.
xo,
s
Ann-Marie says
Great job! We’re hoping to move in the next year or so, and I can’t wait to go through our entire apartment room by room. I’d do it sooner, but my husband needs a more concrete motivator than “just to do it.” :)
MelissaG says
Oh man…you got rid of the exact nursing cover that I lost around 2 years ago and still think about. I think it’s an Amy Coe fabric maybe? I got mine on e-bay and lost it at a mall 45 minutes away. I actually went back while passing a month later just to see if it happened to be in lost and found…it was way nicer than the other one I ended up with.
Good for you for purging! As you can see from above paragraph, sometimes I have a hard time letting go!
Jessica says
I have to ask…didn’t like the nursing cover? I NEVER see those in resell-it shops and I almost fell off my chair when I saw it in your purge pile.
I became a Flylady junkie last winter and am SO GLAD I have purged so much this year. I hope you have a great move!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
I actually never got into using a nursing cover- I always just had a blanket on hand so that worked instead. Of course nursing covers allow you to peek in and check things out, but I guess I’m too lazy to carry around an extra item, so I learned how to work a blanket and just use that all the time.
xo,
s
Erin says
Hey YHL!
I love that subway poster that you bought (the one that used to be in the basement), but I couldn’t find any info on it in the archives. I am sure I’m just overlooking it, but do you by chance remember where you bought it from?
Thanks!
and… best of luck with the move!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2007/11/nice-birthday-suit/
xo,
s
Michele Daggar says
I just spent over 7 hours cleaning the basement and really felt the need to list everything I did. This was actually inspired by your New Years resolutions but I figured a purge post was the proper place for my list. Since I don’t have a blog I’ll borrow yours!
Christmas Decorations gone – 5 bags/boxes
Kids clothes, adult clothes, old sheets, etc. – 9 bags
Household stuff – 11 bags/boxes
bags of garbage and recycling – 8 bags
Old Halloween/Thanksgiving decor – 2 boxes
Yeah for me (and my clean basement). I feel fantastic. I tried not to be sentimental and if we haven’t used it in the past six months/year it was gone. Wahoooooo!!!!!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing Michele. Go you!
xo,
s
Katie @ The Inspired Life says
Nooo! you got rid of Sex & The City DVDS?! Say it ain’t so!!!
YoungHouseLove says
I never watched them and it’s always on TBS now anyway. Haha. Guess I’m spoiled by that.
xo,
s
Cristina says
I would truly, honestly, not, I mean, “love to” purge!! From past experience I always need/want something as soon as I throw it out. :( Thus, am always afraid to throw ANYTHING out…except for broken items of course. My house is much too cluttered and I have gained a little inspiration from you to do so…just a little. I’m not doing it today, but it’s on my mind. :) So, for that, I thank you.
maribel says
Hi there…I’ve declared October…Out-tober. I want to get rid of stuff stored away never seeing the day of light. How do you make the decision of what goes and stays. I also what to really get on the pile of stuff I have collected, stuff that i want to use in DIY projects.
YoungHouseLove says
We just tried to think hard about what we really used and loved. If it wasn’t useful or sentimental it was gonezo!
xo
s