The Minimalism Game - 30 Days to Less Stuff! [Sept. 14 - Oct. 13, 2015]

[Dusk]

Today's 15

Dog shampoo - we can just use soap to clean the dachshund

Fancy-ass non-sulphur red shampoo -- I haven't used shampoo in over a year. I don't need to keep a bottle 'just in case' someone needs it.

Face scrub I haven't touched since I moved here.

Foot scrub I maybe looked at once.

A foot brush I haven't thought about in years.

A holder from our new toothbrush heads I was planning on keeping 'just in case' and because it's a nice holder.

5 more nail polishes.

Ancient powder compact.

Eyeshadow duo in shades I don't like.

Face soap - also haven't used that in over a year.

The bath poufy that's been stained pink from hard water and I'm totally afraid to touch.

Sent on dragon wing

 

Are you a no-poo-er? What do you use instead? I'd love to be able to ditch shampoo, but I haven't figured anything out that works for me yet.

[Rurik Harrgath]

Day 6: A couple of old ratty comics and four magazines.

 

Day 7: Seven magazines into recycling.

 

I used to have a weekly/monthly magazine addiction... no wonder I had money problems. 

 

As of Tuesday I begin the serious Daily Mission of unpacking, so there'll be a lot more "stuff" to donate and destroy rather than the current stack of magazines I'm working at.

[skinNbones]

Day 7: the entire MSDN library from 2002 on 2 CDS, visual J++, Eclipse (on a CD !?), 3 out of date books , a 2002 road atlas, and a Rosetta stone demo cd

How do you reckon a demo language CD works? Do they just teach you the first half of each sentence ? "Where is the train station: Ou est La .... buy the full course to find out !!".

I see green herbs !

[jmk]

Day 7: the entire MSDN library from 2002 on 2 CDS, visual J++, Eclipse (on a CD !?), 3 out of date books , a 2002 road atlas, and a Rosetta stone demo cd

How do you reckon a demo language CD works? Do they just teach you the first half of each sentence ? "Where is the train station: Ou est La .... buy the full course to find out !!".

I see green herbs !

That's funny!

Day 7

Random decorations not used for years.

[jmk]

I also forgot I sent my daughter's two wedding dresses home with her yesterday - extra bonus!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Yraen]

Seven magazines for today.

[Jakkals]

7

 

End of week one. I've been on this minimalism thing for too long. I thought cleaning out my filing cabinet would be a good idea and found out I've already done it, and cannot remember when.

 

I even went through my bedroom tonight and couldn't find anything to declutter.

[darkfoxx]

@Shadri: Yes! My husband and I are both no-poo-ers, and we just use water and fingertips/nails to break up any oils that accumulate.

I have thin, fine hair and this works great for me - I occasionally use a little dry shampoo (Batiste is my favorite brand) if my hair looks a bit lank (occasionally like maybe once a month?)

And my DH has thick, curly hair and uses daily pomade to control his mop. He also only uses fingers and water.

This works for daily use; he runs a crapton; and I do mud runs. Mud runs kind of kill the natural balance going on in my head for a week or two (I'll feel kind of off and usually end up spraying in a leave-in moisturizer to re-balance things), but that lasts at most a week.

The first month totally sucked and felt gross, but then my hair/scalp balanced and things are fine.

Sent on dragon wing

[Jett]

7

 

End of week one. I've been on this minimalism thing for too long. I thought cleaning out my filing cabinet would be a good idea and found out I've already done it, and cannot remember when.

 

I even went through my bedroom tonight and couldn't find anything to declutter.

That's awesome! If you reach a point where you literally have nothing you don't need, then I think you "win" even if it's before day 30.

 

Does it count that I turned a bunch of balls of yarn into sweaters?

 

Sure, why not?! Subtract "2" sweaters from the number of balls of yarn you started with, and count the rest toward your total.

 

I'm running a little behind... still need to get rid of 5 more things today. Continuing to clear out my closet, so I have no doubt I will get there.

[BlackTezca]

I got rid of more perfumes and lotions.  7 things total.  All right, now to look onto other drawers with things I really don't need.

[alienjenn]

A garbage bag full of towels and wash cloths that were ratty (I'd already bought new at the beginning of summer)

Some power tools went into the pile to give my oldest son

3 back packs into the pile for son

Big stack of pants that are huge (like 5 pairs? )

Also my son has been getting his stuff out. I kicked him out last month (because of a lot of reasons) and his stuff has been overflowing in my living room. I don't think that counts as MY stuff, but it's leaving [emoji14]

hmmmm... sent by magic.... or fairies.... or small woodland creatures maybe? how does this thing work?

[jmk]

Day 8

[naarasleijona]

why?  Why? WHY? do I have a gazillion squares of fabric whose sole purpose is to collect snotty mucus from a nose?  

 

I'll tell you why... my grandmother, (sweet lady), was a child of the 1920s.  She grew up with the habit of handkerchiefs.    When she passed away I was still in my retro phase, and some of the patterns were pretty cool (actually pretty funky considering my grandmother's very classic taste), so I took them ALL home. Today I pulled 3 from the pile that I like, and will keep in my drawer.  I thought about incorporating them into cute little pillow covers, but then starting to think how gross that would be... "I love resting my head on a piece of fabric that was covered in slime and has probably collected billions and billions of germs!"  Maybe not.....

 

The gazillion rest of them are going to go.... starting with 7 today.

 

I also brought a silverware caddy to school to replace the ugly one here.  I don't need it, but it's a nice bamboo one.  That still counts right?  I got it out of my house, but I still get to put it to good use somewhere else?

 

So that brings today's total to 8.    

 

 

[Yraen]

My 8 for the day is four knives, two comic books, a magazine, and an old pair of earbuds.

[rowan]

6 and seven from the weekend: two old story manuscripts, a box of gross tea, a packet of top ramen (BECAUSE NO), lemon juicer, some old business cards, an unmatched sock, a pair of earrings, a paperback book, a plastic light-up ring, wall-hanging stickies, a necklace, a bracelet.

 

Heading to a consignment store sometime this week, I bet I can sell a bunch of this stuff!

[darkfoxx]

Today's 15

 

 

2 eyeshadow compacts in colors I half like

1 gold eyeshadow pot

3 forms of black or silver glitter; some of which I've had since college

A pot of 3 glitters I've had since high school

2 lip balms I hate

2 foundations I don't like

A concealer I don't use

A lip gloss I don't like

A manicure block

Mini nail files 

[BlackTezca]

Got rid of eight items today; shampoo, conditioner and several more things, this time for donation.

[Jakkals]

8

[Rurik Harrgath]

Today's 8.  The last 7 magazines and an old German army jacket I've been holding onto for far too long.

 

Is anyone starting to struggle yet?

[ShadowLion]

7

 

End of week one. I've been on this minimalism thing for too long. I thought cleaning out my filing cabinet would be a good idea and found out I've already done it, and cannot remember when.

 

I even went through my bedroom tonight and couldn't find anything to declutter.

 

I agree with JMitch. Congratulations, you've accomplished the mission, Rebel!

[ShadowLion]

why?  Why? WHY? do I have a gazillion squares of fabric whose sole purpose is to collect snotty mucus from a nose?  

 

I'll tell you why... my grandmother, (sweet lady), was a child of the 1920s.  She grew up with the habit of handkerchiefs.    When she passed away I was still in my retro phase, and some of the patterns were pretty cool (actually pretty funky considering my grandmother's very classic taste), so I took them ALL home. Today I pulled 3 from the pile that I like, and will keep in my drawer.  I thought about incorporating them into cute little pillow covers, but then starting to think how gross that would be... "I love resting my head on a piece of fabric that was covered in slime and has probably collected billions and billions of germs!"  Maybe not.....

 

The gazillion rest of them are going to go.... starting with 7 today.

 

I also brought a silverware caddy to school to replace the ugly one here.  I don't need it, but it's a nice bamboo one.  That still counts right?  I got it out of my house, but I still get to put it to good use somewhere else?

 

So that brings today's total to 8.  

 

 

Totally counts. Donating, recycling - those are optimum compared to just trashing a useful, still usable item.

[ShadowLion]

I got my 30's for the weekend. Will do today's late tonight when I get home. It's getting a bit harder, as I have gotten almost everything that isn't an essential out of the bathrooms and hall closet. I'm down to two small baskets of usable makeup, hair thingies, and specialty soaps. I may keep those on the counter (with a deadline of next weekend) and do some testing of the last questionable items. Anything I don't really love goes. Next, it is on to the bedroom closet!

 

It is amazing to me how many unused, unusable, or unneeded items were hanging around in the bathrooms and closet! Given the commonly quoted statistic that most of us only wear about 20% of the clothing we own, the clothes closet should be interesting. I did purge it fairly heavily about 6 months ago. Don't know if this is where I will start to feel the pinch of decluttering or not. Eh, there's probably plenty to keep me busy for a couple of days, at least.

 

210/900

 

Great work everyone! We've collectively rid ourselves of well over 576 items of useless stuff!

[Wild Wolf]

Still catching up from this weekend but took care of 6 items at work to cover Saturday:

 

• 3 old pictures from my previous job
• old fitness mag
• 2 old b-day cards

Apparently I hoard b-day cards. just last week I purged some from 3-4 years ago...

 

I'll make sure and take care of Sunday and today before tomorrow hits. Yay purge!!

 

Wolf

[Kilo]

8 more things gone. I don't know how much longer I can last. I don't own this much stuff.

[ShadowLion]

8 more things gone. I don't know how much longer I can last. I don't own this much stuff.

 

Do what you can until you reach a level you feel good about.

 

We're all at different stages of life and accumulation, and we all have different needs from the game. Use it to reach yours and stop. You can then cheer the rest of your teammates on as they go for theirs.

 

The finish line is very individual. This is a game we can all win!