Sick of stuff - Time for Action

It was last weekend when the realisation slapped me in the face. It was STUFF - and there was far too much of it in my house. The time had come and the clear out began.

The magazines say that you should have three piles: one pile for stuff that you are definitely getting rid of, one for stuff that you are uncertain about, one for the stuff you are definitely keeping.

So, with this in mind, I began. I brought everything that was in the upstairs rooms into our spare room. This done, I was exhausted and told myself I was mad. Not for the first time. This was a bad idea. It was a really bad idea. I contemplated the heap of stuff in the spare room. I had other things to do and I simply hadn't got time for this impulsive project. So I went downstairs, did a few things I needed to do, then forced myself to return. I switched on the radio. Any Questions on Radio 4. A programme guaranteed to annoy and thus energise me.

The sorting of the stuff began. After a while I noticed that the 'Definitely Keep' pile was by far the biggest. More ruthless measures needed.

Gradually, the pile ' to keep' reduced and I had two full bin liners ready to take to the charity shop. I stuffed the bags into the back of my car and drove off immediately, fearing a change of heart.

Driving home, surprisingly, I felt no sense of regret - only relief. In fact I was keen to get rid of more stuff. I also made a promise to myself. For six months, I will not buy any clothes, shoes, or things for the house. Already I had too much stuff. I had no desire to add to it. But would the six month self-imposed rule work? The trouble is that for so many of us, leaving the house means going to earn money or going to spend money. The supermarket where you go with every intention just to buy food, now has household goods, clothes and even jewellery. All there to help us to indulge the nation's favourite pastime of shopping. Even Ikea said lately that we are at the peak of owning stuff.

Having stuff can get you down. How to manage it, buying extra storage to store the stuff and seeing the stuff daily can depress you. Although I didn't immediately feel ecstatic as some declutterers predict, I did feel a bit better. Enough to continue. I'm going from room to room and what's more I'm looking forward to it.

A friend of mine hired a declutter expert. My friend's declutterer advised doing as the magazines I'd read told me to do - the three pile plan. In effect my friend paid £120 to be given permission to throw some of her stuff away. She was also instructed to say goodbye to her stuff. Apparently that way, she would know that the relationship with her stuff was over. She should have saved her money.