Post 12/ Digital & Electronic
days tidying : 3
# items tossing: 0
# items donating: 98
# items selling: 39
# items kept: 145 (tops and jackets)
total___282___________________
$ from sold tidied goods
total_____0_________________
my tidying cost equation
(sold tidied items) - (tidying supplies cost) = net cost —> $0 - $616.13 = (-$616.13)
confidence I can complete this project
85%. While waiting for my box, bag, and Trashie deliveries, I took my "before" photos and imagined the "after" a year from now. I realized I wanted a clearer designated space, but my costs rose! My commitment to tidying felt hypocritical as I bought more items to get organized—yikes! But it felt good to document my before afters. See below!!
The only things you'll need for the next year of tidying. That's it!
“My clients do not develop the habit of tidying gradually. Every one of them has been clutter free since they undertook their tidying marathon. This approach is the key to preventing rebound.” - Marie Kondo
You've had your prep week to receive your eco-friendly trash bags, boxes, and Trashie. You've picked your main tidying spot, and taken your "before" photos on a sunny morning. Now, you're ready to begin tidying, starting with clothes, following the KonMari Method. As Marie Kondo says, her “clients don’t develop the habit of tidying gradually. Every one of them has been clutter free since they undertook their tidying marathon. This approach is the key to preventing rebound.” Ready? Let’s Go!
Suggestions for this week:
One
Here’s the spreadsheet I’m using to track what I’m tidying and, more importantly, what I’m keeping and loving. In the clothing tab, I highlight Marie Kondo’s advice: "Don’t worry about waste." We’reg gonna go against her grain on this ethic. We’re using eco-friendly boxes and compostable bags instead of large, black trash bags, making the donation process part of the joy of tidying. Even if you want to use black trash bags (part of the “out of site, our of tidying eye”) be wary of greenwashing. Check out this USA product, for example. They really get you thinking it’s green in their marketing with pictures of soil, perhaps suggesting a compostable product. Also, don’t be fooled into subscription models for compostable bags either. I recommend Green Paper Products for any of your needs, especially if you’re sticking with bags. Our tidying won't end when the items leave our home—they’ll continue to spark joy through the donation process. So find the container — whether a box or bag — that helps you make the whole process worth your time.
Two
As I was prepping this week, figuring out which spots in my home can be designated to this purpose for the next year, I realized I wanted something a little more visual to identify my tidying space. What I’m about to suggest for prep supplies are optional and additional.
For Your Tidying Space(s)
To visually distinguish my tidying space, I’m using canvas drop cloths to keep the clutter separate from our living area(s). This helps create a dedicated, transient space for tidying that can be reset or kept messy each day.
Since we won’t just be trashing, but also donating and re-selling on sites like Poshmark, I also decided to designate a wall drop canvas location to take good quality pictures for advertisements.
For items worth reselling (over $60), I’m designating a selling bucket or bin by the front door, where I’ll keep them ready for shipping. All sales will ship out on Mondays to keep things manageable.
Marie Kondo says, "Storage solutions are just prisons to bury possessions that spark no joy." But she advocates for one exception: a simple file folder system for important papers. Papers won’t come into play until much later, but I wanted to have everything on hand. See my photo below of the only supplies I feel I need for the next year, including for the papers section.
For Your Tidying Delivery Methods
Two words. Duct Tape. I’ll be using color-coded duct tape—starting with bright yellow for clothing—to keep track of each tidying category.
I kicked off my tidying journey knowing I’d start in the red, but things will only improve from here—especially with a no-purchase New Year’s resolution. Today’s trip to Office Max and Home Depot didn’t help, with high-quality drop cloths and duct tape costing me $139.06. The only reassurance I had was knowing this is a year-long process, with tidying sprints when I have the energy. The $~600 upfront cost is an investment in my future mental space and our lifestyle—it’s a transformative process.
Staying focused, we have everything we need. As I sit on my couch (which I plan to sell), I’m looking at the space that’s about to transform me. It’s where the 9x12 drop cloth will stay for a year, where I’ll purge what no longer serves me, and where I’ll post items online for resale. Most importantly, it’s where I’ll prepare boxes to donate to women’s shelters, the soup kitchen, PAVSA, Goodwill, and more.
Here’s my advice on how these tasks connect with tidying. You might think, "I just want to tidy! I don’t want to track everything in a spreadsheet, take photos, and post to socials." That’s totally fine—take what works for you. I’m sharing all the tools, but it’s up to you to decide what fits your process.
Although I mentioned each Monday would be the following weeks’ prep, I got a head start on one of my tidying days and got through all my shirts and jackets, hence my count above. But don’t worry, there’s a lot more (likely more than your average persons’) in my closet, so it’ll give me some time to stay on track with you. It took me one, full Saturday from noon - 7 to get through 282 shirts and jackets, documenting each in the spreadsheet, and taking pictures to sell the more valuable ones online. Hopefully that gives you a sense of time commitment for your categories. As you begin your clothes this week, I’ll be starting my pants and remaining clothing, including undergarments, swimwear, seasonal ware, accessories, and shoes. Marie Kondo does keep seasonal ware and accessories categorized in Komonos (after books and papers), but I disagree. I feel everything you should wear goes first.
So take your first bow to you work space, start early in the morning, and wear your tidying outfit. Show up with a hot tea and your best breakfast. Happy tidying! I’ll be back on October 21 to share how the first round of clothes went—ups, downs, and everything in between.
Preparation
Items to Purchase (Optional Now)
Canvas Drop Cloths
Totally unnecessary, but a fancy and aesthetically pleasing way to do this is to get some nice, canvas drop cloths to really delineate in your space, for upwards of a year, where you workspace is on the floor and on the wall for staging to sell items. I went with the Everbilt 12’ x 15’ for my large floor space and Everbilt 5’ x 5’ for the wall. [$39.98 for the larger and $9.98 for smaller].
Duct Tape
Office Max File Folders
Clear and see through are what the KonMari method recommends. I went with these. [$32.99]
Tasks To Do
Research your Local Donation Centers and Shelters. I found a few of mine below.
Nail Your Vertical Drop Cloth to the Wall for Selling
Ground Your Floor, Tidying Drop Cloth to a Semi-Permanent Tidying Space, Meant for Transient Workspace
Designate Your Selling Collection Bucket with a Post It Note and Paper Clips
National Donation Centers and Platforms
National Donation Centers
Damiano - Here is my local resource center. I plan to take my first boxes here next week.
Women’s Shelters
Safe Haven - Not all donation cetners are seekeing clothes. Be sure to take a look at the list of what goods services accept, like this list limited donations to regularly needed goods like bedding, culturall specific hair products, feminine hygiene, or cleaning items.
Online Second Hand Thrifting Platforms
