Chuck It, Give It, Flog It, Donate It

What do you do with your surplus stuff? 


1) Do you just trot on down to the dump and chuck it?


2) Maybe you subscribe to your local Freecycle etc. and give things to whoever wants it.


3) Then again do you spend the time putting it on eBay or your local paper to sell it or maybe do a Yard Sale when you know you'll only get a fraction of what it cost you?


4) The final option is to take it straight to your nearest charity shop - tax deductible in the USA but not in UK. 


I'm a combination of 2, 3 & 4 with emphasis on 3 as the kids need some money to pay for them to have fun!

Operation Downsize

As I know that at some point this year the kids and I will have to relocate from a 6 to a 2 bedroom home I have been desperately trying to downsize our belongings in preparation for the move. The estate agent that came and valued the property said there was too much stuff in it to get a sale!


There are many times when I think it's a mission impossible as our family of 7 have all got property in various rooms. Unless I have an other adult around or the children are out of the way its not even worth trying to sort stuff out! 

Once I can actually get cracking, then I have to decide what stuff to keep and what to dispose of. Some things are highly sentimental and are therefore priority to keep. Other items I know there won't be space for in our new home and I have to let them go. I have persuaded the kids that if I sell on some of their old toys then the money will be used for them to pay for treats. But as soon as I round up an item with its parts they start to play with it.... must get some of it on eBay quick...

Some items we have had plenty of use out of and aren't worth the effort of selling. I have been Freecycling things out as fast as I can. I hope not to have to throw too much stuff but can't do a car boot or garage sale without adult help.


Other things are too big for a smaller place and will need to be replaced using the proceeds from selling the old originals. Also the costs of getting rid of current property and moving to new one have to be funded from somewhere. In fact I won't know how much space I will have until I can find a new home and so will have to wait to see how much I can take. This is especially true of of outdoor stuff as I may or may not get somewhere with a garden.


Oh well it will all come out in the end and I just hope that I don't get rid of something that I later regret...

Interesting week!

Well I managed to lock myself out of the house with the kids last night whilst popping out to pick up something from a freecycler! Made it an expensive freebie as hubby is out of the country and my emergency spare door key had been relocated to London!! Another Freecycler asked her hubby for locksmiths numbers but they were so expensive!

My kids needed to be inside so drove to friend's house for a coffee. It turned out my nearest spare key was 100 miles away in Bucks. My mate lent me some fuel money so I could spend the next 3.5 hours driving there and back with the kids. Home by 11 PM...

I had my first RSR launch today and I'm sure I can do better next time! Just hope it goes well... My first school delivery arrived today and the school were v pleased with it. Another school spent over £300 so my commission is looking better. Still need the day job though!

Had an fun evening with M & D and their boys. First time they have been over here. Learnt some interesting things such as coming across as too posh and trying too hard as the new mum at school. Apparently people are realising that I'm OK now! The boys are coming back to play games with my husband and I hope that this is a step on improving my time as a school mummy.

Worth the effort?

I spent nearly an hour this morning lugging boxes from the 3rd floor attic and bags from out 1st floor bedroom to load up the car for a table sale in Westfield. Then I had to shift them all in to the building and set-up my table. Very kindly I was given a 2nd table for free as I had too much stuff!!

So there I am with loads of baby clothes, toys, adult books and some random surplus stuff already to go and stump up my £6. Kids have stopped being pains in the bottom and are running around having fun. Lots of sellers but where are the buyers?? I eventually sold 4 items of kids clothing, 4 Top Trumps games, 1 baby toy and 2 books!! All that work to just cover the cost...

I was determined that things will not be put back up in the attic so at the suggestion of another stall holder I drove up to the local hospital and donated a huge box of paperbacks to the Friends of the Conquest. These will either be sold to raise money or used on the wards. So my debt mountain may not have gone down but I have a lot less in my attic and I can feel the rosy glow from my charity work!

Some of the clutter is up on Freecycle. The remaining baby things are going to be better sorted and hopefully will go and the children's nearly new in Uckfield on the 7th. Going to sell those as well as have an Usborne book stall and hope that between them they cover the £12 cost!

Oh and when we got back 1/2 of Hastings was blacked out due to a power failure including our house and the main traffic lights! So it was down to Cosmo for dinner...

Currently starting to feel my declutter workout's effect on my body.... not sure I'll be able to walk tomorrow...