The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: carole h on February 28, 2009, 08:02:12 pm
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I came across the following idea whilst I was browsing through "downshifting" websites - get rid of 100 things during March.
The general idea is to get rid of (preferable by recycling) 100 "things" that you don't need/want - spring cleaning with a new name, I suppose!
I put the idea to people at work, and 10 of us are going to give it a go ... challenge each other to do it! We've all put £1 into a pot, and the one who gets rid of most gets the cash - an added incentive to free up my mind and space a bit!
I'm a member of Freecycle, so I guess I'd better get posting...
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If one CD counts as one item then I've done it all in one after dinner sitting, having just reorganised the family collection of CD's & DVD's !
That said, I'm not strictly getting rid of them - but I am recycling them, into bird scarers, clocks, wall hangings and anything else I come up with in between times - I feel a crafting session coming on ;D
It's a great idea though - just to get me started, does anyone want 2 kids and a husband ? :o
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I've been trying to get rid of 1 thing each day for a while, but I'm lucky if I manage 1 a week at the moment, that's with giving things to charity shops, the school, friends, freecycle... There still doesn't seem to be less "stuff" in the house! My own personal challenge is paper - with 1 coming in each day, there is always more in there I eventually want to get round to reading than I can keep up with.
HappyH., how about a family swap, lol? :&>
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hehe i ike this challenge :0
i try to get ride of stuff at least one a month, quite a lot get recycle or given way or even sold so am not doing to bad
linz
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Northfifeduckling - family swap sounds interesting, but I really couldn't inflict that on you ! My youngest is the devil incarnate (yes, REALLY) it's all to do with the red hair and Xmas day birthday she looks so cute but don't be fooled ! :o
On the subject of newspaper, have you thought about using it to make decomposable plant pots for seeds ? Also Argos sell a thing for making paper into firelogs - maybe that would be of use
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0710826/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C12107492/Trail/searchtext%3ENEWSPAPER.htm (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0710826/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C12107492/Trail/searchtext%3ENEWSPAPER.htm)
or you could shred it and add it to the compost heap or use it for animal bedding?
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Yes, I was just thinking of turning some of it into bedding for our ducks (different thread), after watching "It's not easy being green". I tried the log maker years ago and found it a bit messy and they only dried well in really hot weather. But if I find it in the shed, will give it another go. I collected lots of cardboard to cover weedy areas instead of using carpet (that wasn't good at all, as the carpet disintegrated and years later I still have to pick up the bits). At least card and paper can be worked in and hopefully the couchgrass is dead after!!!! :&>
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I collected lots of cardboard to cover weedy areas instead of using carpet
Hey, that's a great idea - I've got loads in the garage and I was seriously considering buying loads of weed membrane to try and kill off the nettles around my fruit bushes!
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make sure you cover it with grass cut or soil or it will fly off...Nettles and couch grass will probably still have to be dug over to get rid of the roots, but it should be quite a bit easier without the greenery. Let us know how you are getting on with it! :&>
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2 bags of clothes are leaving today! 1 to the school's rag bag collection, one to a friend with a younger child than mine. Also a bag with girl's magazines. Yesterday I rehomed my girls dollies' pram. Not bad for half a week. As a new year's resolution I promised myself not to buy any more books before the pile in front of the shelf has been read and is gone. So far I managed and it is really interesting what good reads I find at the bottom of the pile. My youngest asked if we could have a TOTAL clearout. I told her that the best way to avoid clutter is not to buy any more "stuff" lol. Why is it though that everybody wants to start with my things instead of going through their own??? :&>
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hehe i can start this now as the kitchen fitters have gone, also waitting for the coucil to drop off the new blue wheelie bin as i have pile of cartons to put in it also have a pile of rubbish to take to tip in the front garden. This will be at the weekend as we are getting a new van for the business venture :)
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In a moment of madness ::) I decided it would be worth going through the kids wardrobes & clearing them out ! After 4 hours I had 4 bin bags ! Admittedly 2 will be kept for the wee one to grow into - but I've got 1 for ebay and 1 for the charity shop, it's a start ;D Hubby's wardrobe is next, he's got more clothes & shoes than me so it'll be quite a task :o
Then it's off to the garage to the tower of bread baskets with all the stuff I looked out for a car boot last year & never actually got round to doing ! Think once that's done I'll have managed the challenge no problem ! ;D
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hehe allready did the wardrobe clear out am on the kitchen clear out before i put stuff back in the kitchen am checkign tosee when it last got use and if we need it now
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I took the challenge when I moved down here at end of April, but still have a cupboard full of stuff intended for Ebay but not got as far as being weighed for postage yet. Might give that a go this weekend. Thanks for the motivation!
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I'm up to 20 to date! Not quite on target for 100 by the end of the month, but I have been quite strict with myself ...eg. only counting bags of clothes rather than individual items...feeling good about the steadily reducing clutter, though!
I'm hoping to do a car boot before the end of the month - that'll definitely help!
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Just managed to sell 6 CD's on www.musicmagpie.co.uk - definitely going to add that to my list!
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Well posted advert lots of things just waiting for replies/bid on ebay and freecycle now
Sold one thing yesterday so one less thing to culter up the house and got money to add to the bank balance lol
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Had a go at selling a couple of books on ebay, not a great success so I'll stick with freecycle. Just got rid of a load of old greenhouse glass. Time to sort out all those boxes in the spare room I think!
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I'm still only about a third of the way through, but the challenge is really making me think about the huge amount of stuff that clutters up my life! I'm looking in cupboards in a totally new way!
A spin off is that the 10 of us at work that are taking part keep offering things to the others ... a great way to recycle.
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Helen - I've never found that books sell particularly well on E-bay, but I've had considerably more luck through registering as an Amazon marketplace seller. You won't get rich this way, but it is a good way of getting at least something back for books you no longer want.
Basically you fix your price, and then the book is listed for IIRC 60 days. If somebody buys the book in that time, you get the price paid plus 2.75 P&P, minus Amazon's not insignificant fees automatically paid into your bank account. All that remains then, is to print off a shipping label, and post the book off to the buyer.
I tend to list books once only. If they don't sell in that time, then they go to a charity shop.
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managed to pass on a cd/some books on freecycle but unfortually had to skip some things because they where brocken :( but on a good notemy blue wheely bin arrived today so i can put a lotmore things in it.
on also put my 6 millions tetra pack to the tip too(but they when in to the correct recycling bin.
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Our fist visit to a Swishing Event (for Comic Relief) tomorrow in Glenrothes! I've got a bag of clothes ready to go but I fear my daughter might come back with more than we are going to bring lol.
I've sold a few books on Amazon. They should be specialist books (not mainstream fiction) and chances are good that someone is looking for them there. Most of mine go to the school's coffee morning or if they are really good to friends. I've also looked into greenmetropolis.com and there are several bookswap sites you can list your books with - I've not tried those yet...:&>
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Dan uses a site called bookmooch.com but I think he buys as many as he sells.
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I've managed to get my son to sell a whole pile of his unused games/CD's through music magpie this weekend (He's brought his washing home from Uni ...does emptying my fridge of everything edible count as de-cluttering!!?) and have passed on yet more gardening magazines through freecycle - feeling positively virtuous!!
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WHEN, WE GET OUR BELOVED vw BACK,,we may do a cer boot. Me and Steve live of very little and most of what we have is used and from freecycle, we also have loads of storage space so collect "rubbish" but still need more "rubbish" I use old bedding for the dogs, old carpet for the dogs, old plants plant pots garden stuff etc to fill the garden and pots and pans.....I love my free stuff and cannot waite for a shed to come up, along with every one else!!!
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does giving Anne some gardening /smallholder magazine class as downsizing lol
Linz
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Yes, but it doesn't help Anne downsize, does it? ;D Now I'll just have to sit down and think over my cheese sandwich and coffee. Mind you if on e of my ducks dies that might be classed as downsizing? MAybe not because I'd probably replace them.
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lol sold 8 things on ebay might try to magpiesite fro some dvd i have
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couldn't get the maggiepie site to work properly but willtry again later today,Putted an itemi found in the spair room up on freecycle and have found some fabric patterns am gona try on ebay.
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just to let you know i got the site working and u can also trade in your old mobile phone and possible get money for them too.
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Am I missing the point here or are there a few "capitalists in sheeps clothing" doing this? If you can't "sell" yer items then there are more than a few charities that'd gladly accept books/dvd's/cd's etc such as the PDSA/Oxfam/Shelter etc...etc...
It seems a bit self centred in that just because you can't sell via ebucks or give away on freecycle, defeat is admitted (or maybe I'm reading it wrong). Any charity will accept items in good nick etc for onward sell & as well as contributing to your downsizing challange you also give something back in a very easy way ;D
Do the right thing & donate if you can't get rid of stuff (oh and folks like the Samaritans will pick up larger stuff n'ah like sofas etc).
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ohhh , is that my wrist smack lol
I must admit i have problems with 'big high street' charity shop as they sell at overly priced high street prices for items that arn't always worth it.
i do donate stuff to charity shop but being on a very low budget with a baby on the way it's not always easy to be charitable !
On another side i do belong to a RAK group which i do send parcells on to people who have put in for a surprise
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Glad you got music magpie working OK Linz - you are putting me to shame with the number of things you are moving on (in whatever way suits you!). I think I will do a car boot soon ... and I did "recycle" 3 boy chooks yesterday - two for the pot and one to a new home! I'm certainly counting them on my list.
Hope the morning sickness is a bit better.
Carole
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your not wrong about some of the prices that the "charidie" shops sell things for. I'm a great believer in "going skipping" as I've found some fab & groovy stuff that way. I recently got around a dozen huge office plants that had been chucked out due to closing down. Wasn't looking at the time, just driving out of Glasgow & saw this skip full of greenery, so pulled over, spoke to the first person to come & dump some more stuff if it was ok to take the plants & then had to shoehorn them into me car for a drive back up to Perthshire! 3 huge yukkas, 4 humungous devil's ivy, 4 things wot I dunno yet & a 6 ft uber spikey cactus!
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I get more excited about getting used stuff than going shopping for new stuff, my house is furnished with loads of either free things or used items from E Bay or charity shops, one of the best charity shops for furnishings and large stuff is the Salvation Army shop in Glasgow, Dumbarton Road, they are not over priced at all. I used to go a lot as I worked in that area of Glasgow, I used another shop as well but one day it was pouring with rain so I decided not to drop by in my dinner break, the owner got Knee Capped and the place was swarming with police and customs and excise etc, just missed that bit of excitement. I do agree that many charity shops charge too much for clothing especially small items like tops, tee shirts etc, there are enough places to buy new ones cheaper, anyway, today I may go out to see what I can find!!!!! Maybe one day I will have to down size (my house and my body) :-\
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lol amazed at how the shop excite in Alloa alone their was 8 in total but some off the smaller one have gone (about 3). So alloa town centre still have 5 charity shops. i only really go in to two of them as they are causes closed to my heart the Sence shop good price and the Marie Currie charity shop.
Their is the other charity shop next to the bus stop but don't really go in that direct at all.
Did shop in Barnardos but heard some bad thing religions wise so don't really shop in there.
edit btw forgot about salvation army which recently opened so that 6 charity shop in the small town of alloa
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Joined in a bit late for a March clearout - but totally inspired at this thread! Good going!
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okay freecycled a pink waldrobe and chest of draws and something things which where pink to a couple of freecycle, Also creating a pile of no collect for charity and also a pile of stuff for the bin (which is no good to man nor beast). most get some more thins on the ebay, also waiting for the Magic magpie lables to arrive so i can parcell these cd off
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I off-loaded another stack of gardening mags on freecycle today - and gave the couple who came to collect them a whole load of surplus plants! Shifted a big bag of rubbish from the poly at long last ... and re-used some scaffold planks to make a raised bed. Still ony up to the 40 out of 100 point ... must try harder!