r/declutter • u/Rosehip_Tea_04 • 5d ago
Success Story Friendly reminder that it’s worth going through what you own once in a while
I rarely buy shoes and when I do it’s to replace ones I’ve worn out, so I didn’t think I had shoes I could part with. However we’re having a yard sale in two days so I figured I might as well go through my shoes just in case. I found 5 pairs that could go, 3 of which I didn’t even remember I owned.
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5d ago
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u/stuffrescue 3d ago
I recently refinished the cupboards in my kitchen - oh my gosh, a gold mine of stuff I wanted to get rid of immediately! Stuff I forgot I had, including A crockpot for one person... I don't even know where that came from lol not to mention the Chinese dumpling plastic hand press/s lol those things are really yummy especially with vinegar, but I haven't made them in 10 years.
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u/cassinonorth 4d ago
Doing the 1,000 item challenge right now. Just tossed 5 pairs of shoes...pretty sure I had 3 "yard work" shoes in addition to hiking shoes and boots. Either of those could double duty as yard work shoes with zero issues.
It's really absurd the stuff we justify keeping around.
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u/DarcyMistwood 4d ago
easy way: old check stubs. 20 per pack, and I've shredded quite a few dozen old packs today... < grin >
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u/cassinonorth 3d ago
I'm actually pretty good about ridding of those when they come in through the mail (huge pet peeve...I wish I could stop them and go digital) but I do have a bunch of paperwork I'm saving.
All sorts of insurance packets from years prior. Going to keep ~5 years in a file container and shred the rest. Up to 300 items gone in 2 days!
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u/DarcyMistwood 2d ago
working toward the insurance packets. They're close...
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u/No_Recognition5242 1d ago
What are insurance packets?
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u/DarcyMistwood 11h ago
the thick packets of paper you get from an insurance company with the details of your policy - you get a new set every renewal, for every policy (car, house/renter's, personal umbrella) - and I've been lax on shredding/recycling the old ones, so they've piled up
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u/ExtensionLobster8709 4d ago
I have a new shoe cabinet, it’s small, I promise I will buy shoes only if they fit there. I do have too many running shoes, though. They don’t go in the cabinet.
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u/Rosehip_Tea_04 4d ago
I ended up with I think 8 pairs of running shoes in my closet, but I didn’t buy any of them. My mom just kept leaving running shoes at my house and I just kept them because I didn’t know what else to do with them. I almost never have a reason to wear tennis shoes of any kind so I had zero use for them. I finally got rid of those last year and enjoyed all of the free space I got from removing them.
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u/heatherlavender 4d ago
Sneakers need to be my next shoe project. I surely can get rid of some of them. I have at least 6 pairs I regularly wear plus others hidden in baskets and in my closet.
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u/ExtensionLobster8709 4d ago
I found some forgotten shoes that hadn’t been worn in a while, so I promptly donated them before I changed my mind. The thing with sneakers is that some are also good for hiking, their soles are ridged rather than smooth, I can’t donate those. I fell on some ice last spring, because I was wearing smooth soled Hokas.
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u/heatherlavender 4d ago
I just did this recently with my slippers. I have a large cloth cube thing in my closet where I toss all of my slippers. I really hadn't looked in a while at just how many pairs I actually had. I also had pairs in various places around the house where I removed them and just left them (usually by doors exiting the house).
I lined up all of the pairs I had (it was a ridiculous amount). I do wear slippers 100% of the time while in my house, so I do use them, but I definitely had too many. I pulled out any that were in good enough shape to donate that I wasn't ever wearing because they didn't fit well or were impractical. There were quite a few of those, plus a bigger pile of slippers I should have tossed a while ago (worn out or damaged). I kept thinking I needed them since I wear them so often.
Well, I still have plenty of slippers even after getting rid of half (or more) of what I had. I only kept the ones that are still in good condition, don't hurt my feet to wear, and that I liked the look of. I think I got rid of something like 12 pairs ><
I would have told you before I started that I maybe might find 1-3 pairs to get rid of.
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u/Celcius_87 3d ago
Where do you buy your house slippers? I've been wanting to get a pair but never seem to see any in the stores I go to.
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u/heatherlavender 3d ago
TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, places like that. Outlet stores also sometimes have some if you like certain brands/types. You can also get some in places like Walmart during the fall/winter.
Aldi also gets some in every now and then, but they don't last very long for me. Dollar Tree occasionally gets some in in the $5 price range that were suprisingly comfortable and have lasted so far (about 2+years i think now).
I focus on what fits best + looks cute + lowish price. Since most slippers don't last more than a few years (and some only last a year), I don't like to spend a lot on them. I tried more expensive types and they still wore out through such constant use, so I went back to the more economical options.
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u/Slight-Amphibian-119 2d ago
I have been very happy with a pair of Bombas slippers. Warm, durable sole, and seem quite supportive.
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u/FredKayeCollector2 4d ago
There's nothing like a yard sale to motivate me to find stuff I can put in it!
We've had two FREE yard sales over the last two years and now we're getting ready for #3 (first weekend in September during our bi-annual community-wide garage sale day). I never would have expected to find more stuff (junk) to put in another sale, but here we are....there's always more!
My husband brought over a small box of tools/garage stuff and I'm going to comb through every drawer & bin, yet again, the see what can go. I put some ??? stuff in a box-and-banish about a month ago and I bet some of that stuff can go. Might let go of some kitchen towels, too (I don't remember buying more - do they multiply in the drawer?)
I think that needs to go in my decluttering song:
As they say, laundry isn't really "done" until it's put away.
I don't remember buying more - do they multiply in the drawer?
Doesn't really have the right phrasing for a blues song :(
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u/Miesmoes 1d ago
Today I donated shoes and I saw someone picking them up a couple of minutes later and happily taking them home. Better than have them sit on my maybe next year shelf
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u/stuffrescue 4d ago
I bet you a third of the households in America have the same problem. Myself included. I have four closets. Each of them have probably six pairs of shoes in them. Talk about a country with more stuff than they know what to do with. When I traveled through India, most people are blessed to have two pairs of shoes. |
Good for you putting them back into the world. Even if through a yard sale. :)
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u/DarcyMistwood 4d ago edited 11h ago
I've been going through papers this week, scanning/shredding/recycling the low-hanging fruit for starters. Bills, statements, check stubs. Came across a small pile of miscellany mixed in with some of those that must have gotten put aside when cleaning up for visitors, and it had an old birthday card with cash in it (yay).