<p>Got rid of a lovely queen comforter set (including bed skirt, two shams, and three toss pillows) through Freecycle. We’ve been in our new house for 15 months and have no use for them. As I was carrying them out to the mailbox, where the Freecycler was going to pick them up, DH said, “You’re getting rid of that? It’s nice.” </p>
<p>Yeah, but we have no use for it. So out it goes!</p>
<p>Question: I have not only tons of junk to get rid of, but also tons of papers that must be shredded. Does a bag a week of shredded material “count”, or must it be old boxes, appliances, clothing, books, toys, etc.?</p>
<p>If bags of shredded material count, I’m in.</p>
<p>Coming up for air from cleaning the basement to discover this thread. I’m definitely in!</p>
<p>I shredded a bag of stuff from 2001-1996. Yay. About a thousand more. (Cleaning out mom’s hoarder’s house will take forever.)</p>
<p>Great thread. </p>
<p>We started cleaning out in earnest this past year. Tons of stuff, one box at a time. We have discovered that instead of shredding, we use all the paper in our fireplace and it has kept us warm many nights! ;)</p>
<p>The key is to have small goals. We do a corner of a room, or a few drawers at a time, otherwise it overwhelms my H, who is the main culprit, the saver in this family!</p>
<p>Thank goodness H has a friend with a pickup truck, who has made one trip here already and we actually have enough for a second trip. Old file cabinets, old computer moniters, an old basketball set, old trampoline, etc.</p>
<p>It feels AWESOME to see it leave the house!!</p>
<p>Coming up for air from a day of (off and on) going through piles of paper—bills, tax records, student papers, assignments, letters, etc etc. So much sorting, so much decisions, so much shredding still to do!</p>
<p>But a couple bags of recycling ready to go!</p>
<p>OK, so I take it that bags of shredded material count towards getting rid of stuff?</p>
<p>JustaMom5465, our Hs must be long lost twins. I had a very similar conversation with mine this morning about several boxes. I agreed to start writing the purchase date on each new box, which he then promised to toss after 90 days. That was a HUGE deal for my H.</p>
<p>Heyalb, shredded paper surely counts. I freed up two drawers in our file cabinet by shredding old bills, documents, etc. Suddenly, H no longer thinks we need to buy another file cabinet. : )</p>
<p>heyalb, it’s whatever you want it to be. I think a bag of shredded paper counts as a bag. The point is paring down and making things simpler, having less, and keeping only what you need. </p>
<p>This isn’t a contest. Progress is the goal.</p>
<p>Started cleaning the piles of paper in the kitchen last night. Found some bills that I need to send to the insurance company. Too bad I didn’t find my DH’s commuter pass that gets sent to him every month. That’s an expensive loss.</p>
<p>heyalb, everything counts! If it’s tossed, given away to Goodwill or your family, or shredded (and then recycled), it counts.</p>
<p>Shredding takes a lot of time! Last year I started in on that, got discouraged, and ended up bringing a whole boat load of old paper stuff to Staples. They have a shredding bin and charge by the pound…look online for a coupon.</p>
<p>I think I shredded all the “sensitive” stuff at home and brought the rest there.</p>
<p>^^Justamom:</p>
<p>Do you have a fireplace? Best way to get rid of paper instead of shredding and it costs nothing! ;)</p>
<p>I’m burning stuff now and it’s keeping me warm!</p>
<p>(un??)fortunately, we have a gas log in our fireplace…</p>
<p>ok, last weekend I started my husband on going through his desk/office. He does not throw anything out. We have stacks of old articles he printed out so he could read them; they are yellowed and curling and he does not want to trash them! He had a box with cancelled checks from 1991, 192 & 1993–and thought maybe we might need them some day. Nine bags gone, innumerably more to go.</p>
<p>boysx3, I think I can top that: I found a box of cancelled checks from 1990! 
The articles - I just throw them away without even asking, they all can be found or ordered online anyway. </p>
<p>Shredded a bunch of stuff. Phew.</p>
<p>I was going to join but Mr B told me to hold off on donating stuff because a friend’s friend’s family is moving to our neck of the woods from overseas and might need some items like kids’ blankets, pillows, etc. Oh, well…</p>
<p>Last fall we bought and outdoor “fireplace” for just this purpose. It takes forever to shred.
Haven’t used it yet, but it is ready. I need to check to see if burning envelopes with the see-through window is safe.</p>
<p>Here’s some info on Goodwill that might be of interest: [John</a> Hrabe: Goodwill’s Charity Racket: CEOs Earn Top-Dollar, Workers Paid Less Than Minimum Wage](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Goodwill's Charity Racket: CEOs Earn Top-Dollar, Workers Paid Less Than Minimum Wage | HuffPost Latest News)</p>
<p>Ooh I’m so happy I found this thread! I have actually been doing this for a couple of months…a box or bag a week. Books go to the local library book sale. Clothes to Goodwill. Old files and cancelled checks (back to 1986) straight into the fireplace! (never thought about the plastic windows being a hazard though). Told the kids now that everyone is over 20 it’s time to clean out their rooms and be selective about what they are keeping for sentimental reasons…</p>
<p>I decided to institute a “use it or lose it basket” and come up with a rule that if it’s not used within a certain time out it goes.</p>
<p>This weeks purge-recycled 3 old TV sets, donated three bags of clothes, sheets, blankets and threw away 3 bags of garbage from the basement. What a great feeling. </p>
<p>Need to keep it up!</p>
<p>Last summer I finally dried up and then threw away several old cans of paint. I made quite a mess. Then I read that some hardware chains are now offerring to recycle cans of paint for you!</p>