What I Decluttered in January

January is “finished”.  I’m not really calling it done because I know it is always a work in progress, but my initial and thorough pass is finished. Here are some successes and tribulations with decluttering my kitchen and living room space.

Success:

• Since my mid-January update, I’ve sold some dishes and unused appliances on eBay, as well as some books on Half. This adds $142.74 to my total profit. (This is the actual amount I made. I deduct out all fees, shipping costs, etc.)
• The total time spent on these two rooms was much less than I feared.
• I finished both these rooms!
• Overall, everything feels like it has more “breathing room”.

Tribulations:

• Packing items sold on eBay is not fun for me. At all.
• Motivation at times can be difficult so I decided to use the funds I make to buy myself rewards. I spent $53.73 on a pair of nice work pants and a work shirt. I figure 11 bags out and only one shirt and one pair of pants in is a win over all. This technically puts my profit at $126.19. I do agree that “getting organized should never be an excuse for more shopping”…oh the lies we tell ourselves!
• I feel like I still have more “stuff” in these two rooms than I need. I am finding the more I simplify, the easier it becomes, but I still feel guilt. I read this after the fact (but my whole house is still in progress) and it was helpful.

Just for fun, here is my finished to do list.

Kitchen

• Pantry
• Cabinets
  • Plate/Bowl Cabinets
  • Glasses Cabinet
  • Mug/Travel Drinkware Cabinet
  • Tea/Coffee Cabinet
  • Under Island Cabinets
  • Under Sink Cabinets
  • Pots/Pans Cabinets
  • Random Cabinet
  • Medicine Cabinet
  • Small Appliance Cabinet
• Drawers
  • Silverware Drawer
  • Large Utensils Drawer
  • Plastic Bags/Tinfoil Drawer
  • Dishrag Drawer
  • Hand Towel Drawer
  • Tupperware Drawer
  • Big Junk Drawer
  • Junk Drawer on Island
• Fridge
• Counter Space
• Coat/Shoe Closet

Living Room

• Large Bookcase
• Small Bookcase
• End Tables
• Coffee Table

Okay, okay the coffee table isn’t crossed off. Adam has been using it for his 3d printing. I should probably try to get him to move his projects to the office space, but I really don’t mind. We both go through phases in which we utilize a non-traditional workplace in our home. I chalk it up to the creative process.

February brings a new month and a new list. My office and laundry room are next. These rooms are lighter in terms of physical bulk, but heavier in terms of needed time to simplify.  The office seems like it will be most time consuming due to the mess of papers and files. I usually get my taxes done in early January but this year that didn’t happen. This makes file cleaning all the more appropriate.

Current Simplifying Stats:

• Rooms Complete – 2
• Cash Profit – $179.92
• Number of Bags/Boxes Full of Items Donated – 11