Getting Rid of Household Items

[rebeccajo 14]

Oh - CD's - you don't have convert them all.

Wes moved over here four years ago. Ipods and the like weren't so readily available (amazing how fast stuff changes). Anywho - you can buy yourself a few big CD albums and put just the CD's with the corresponding artist's literature into those. Ditch the jewelcases themselves. Bring the CD albums over in your luggage or ship them to the US and place it all into new jewelcases once you arrive in the US (jewelcases are cheap enough over here).

That's a good idea. I've been seriously considering doing that with the majority of my DVDs and videogames.

You can also get DVD style storage boxes over here (probably can in the UK too, but just sayin').

Oh - you'll need a region-free DVD player once you are here in the US to play those. Again, cheap enough and easy enough to find. Scarce as hen's teeth four years ago.

Edited November 22, 2009 by rebeccajo

[thatbritishlass 2]

my car is the biggest thing i want to sell the rest of my stuff doesnt really matter. i cant seem to find anyone locally who wants it, and webuyanycar.com wont give me a good enough price.. but there's still a bit of time left

Have you tried eBay for that? I know a couple of people who have sold them online, you reach a wider audience than locally and the prices aren't exactly rock-bottom...listing fees are higher than your average DVD but might be worth a shot?

This is something I won't have to deal with for a while, but I'm fortunate in that I don't have any furniture etc so I don't have to worry about getting rid of it. I am my father's daughter, and I tend to hoard anything of even vaguely sentimental value, but I've recently been training myself to be totally brutal...but I suspect when moving time comes EVERYTHING is going to have a sentimental value, so I'm going to have to be a tough old stick and stay ruthless!!

The thing I'm most sentimental about is photos & jewellery, though, and they're easy to deal with

[FrostyMist 1]

Oh - you'll need a region-free DVD player once you are here in the US to play those. Again, cheap enough and easy enough to find. Scarce as hen's teeth four years ago.

There's a chance that my fiance might already have a region free DVD player. We're not sure if it is, so I'll need to remind him to test it and find out when we get closer to moving my stuff over. If not, I'm hoping we'll be able to pick up a decent one for a reasonable price. They don't seem nearly as expensive as they were about 3 years ago.

[Rob and Jill 82]

I know this is an older thread, but I thought I might be able to help you all out a little since I am obsessed with "organization" television shows. The general rules for decluttering/organzing is as such:

1. Has it been in closet or drawer for more than 1 year untouched? If so, box it up. If it goes another year without getting touched get rid of it. So, if you've had something in a box for 2 years already...get rid of it.

2. If it's broken get rid of it. (This includes shoes and clothes in bad shape.)

3. If it is missing pieces get rid of it.

4. If you've been meaning to fix it, paint it, decorate it, recover it, for more than a year and you haven't done it get rid of it.

5. Keep a small box of sentimental items and get rid of the others. Keep photos, get rid of the dresses you wore in them.

6. Don't wait to do it all at once. Spend 15 minutes a day de-junking. This way it's not such a nightmare later, and you can still do it while relaxing.

I am notorious for getting mad at clutter and throwing stuff away. The last time I cleaned out my walk in closet I threw out 8 bags of old clothes, shoes, purses, and general "why the heck is this in my closet" stuff. I am about to have the same attack plan on my bedroom this weekend. MUAHWAAHAAAA.

Oh and for your daughter, you could try something my mom used to do to me. Surprise her with a clean bedroom and "hide" some of the toys you know she hasn't used. If she doesn't come back and ask for them in a month, donate them elsewhere. I never missed the stuff my mom took out of my room when this happened. If she does miss it, you still have it around to give back, if it's that important.

Edited December 11, 2009 by Rob and Jill

[Marilyn. 340]

when I moved I went through my stuff and got rid of everything that was replaceable.. well except for my clothes...

then I had a garage sale and sold what I could and the rest I donated to the thrift store..

[Erynn 0]

I did a variation of the three piles thing - I had four piles. Essentually 'Keeping' 'Would like to keep' 'Will keep if I have space' and 'Gone'.

I took most of the 'Keeping' pile when Jon visited me and I flew back with him to visit - we're both allowed two suitcases and carry on with BA. So he brought one half-filled and one empty suitcase and I packed as few clothes as possible and we pretty much emptied the 'Keeping' pile last year. I came back with one almost-full suitcase. He took back a suitcase with my stuff when he visited again.

Furnature, pretty much that all went to charity. I say pretty much because I kept a chair, a table, and my computer desk - but our living situations are not similar, you can't quite do that (not with a little one), best thing is to get rid of the stuff you don't use (as said earlier), and keep the rest until you absolutely don't need it - then be ruthless. If you don't need it to be gone when you go, just leave it. The house I was living in was sold two months ago and I moved into a little room just to keep my stuff down.If

If your partner already has a fully furnished place, you're not going to need it.

I also mailed little things in little 2kg boxes sent ground-mail with the post office - the costs add up but if you do this over time it doesn't notice.

I found myself putting more and more stuff from 'maybe' into 'gone' as time went and made a point of getting rid of it there and then, and not going through things too often. The temptation to keep is strong, but if you don't see it and haven't missed it, what's the likelihood you're going to?

With ten days to go I have three small boxes (actully one double-sized and one small) and two suitcases of stuff. Plus the cat. We just did it all gradually... it worked out for me because there isn't that much. Also I think the suitcases thing is damn convenient ... which was largely my intended contribution. With BA, and a number of other airlines, you can take two suitcases: use them.

Edited December 11, 2009 by Erynn