This week for Minimalist Monday Mission: Declutter 365 I was working in the filing cabinet…again!

Okay first I have to give myself a BIG pat on the back for getting my taxes finished and submitted this past week!!  Whoo hoo!!  So glad that the taxes are done

And before we move into the finished filing cabinet, I wanted to quickly update you on my $100 grocery challenge.  I just ran out of the $100 this week, and that means that it lasted exactly 1 month!

I went grocery shopping today to “restock” the pantry and fridge, and surprisingly, I spent significantly less than usual to “stock” the kitchen.  Here’s the breakdown:

$92.47 at local Price Chopper (main grocery store)
$65.11 at Costco (I think this is a record LOW for me!)
$29.49 at Healthy Living (a specialty grocery store)

Grand Total: $187.07

And so if you add in the $100 I spent on the quick grocery pickup type of things this month, that’s a whopping $287 for groceries this month for our family of four.  Although I have been as low as $150 a month at one point (eating not very good for you food!), I’m usually around $400-$450, so this is a significant savings.

Plus, we even went out to eat a few times – two were on gift cards, and a few more were treats from our in-laws who were visiting.

So, I’m super excited about that, and thought I would repeat it.  Now that I’m stocked up again in the kitchen, I’ve given myself another $100 and we will see how long it lasts this time!  HA!

Okay, so back to the filing cabinet.  While I had planned on finishing up the filing cabinet AND working on another area too, I guess I should consider it a blessing that I finished the filing cabinet at all, considering how much we did this week and how many files we went through.

In fact, I generated an entire filing box FULL of paper to shred…so I guess I’ll have to have another shredding party (for which my children have already volunteered to feed the paper into the shredder – they think it’s great fun!).

Just to refresh your memory, here’s the pictures from last week for before:

 

And after transferring some of the files to long-term storage (my green zone area), and throwing out some, and putting some in the “scan” box and then also putting the rest in the “shred” box, here’s what’s left.  I even had room to put the few binders that I used to have on my hutch inside the cabinet.  I know I like the clear, clean space!  I think I may put a plant up there instead

Total of items eliminated this week?

• Threw out/Recycled: 46 items
• Donated/Given: 7 items
• Sold: 39 items from my Becoming Minimalist Sale and on Craig’s List

Overall Totals:

• Threw out 350 items
• Donated 344 items
• Sold 230 items from my Becoming Minimalist Sale

TOTAL ITEMS: 924 items

Here’s where we are headed for the Minimalist Monday Mission: Declutter 365 in the next few weeks:

1. Clothes (closet and dresser) – DONE!
2. Master Bath Vanity/Cabinet – DONE!
3. Nightstand and Top of Dresser in Master Bedroom – DONE!
4. Kitchen Counters (main and island) – DONE!
5. Kitchen Cabinets (upper) – DONE!
6. Kitchen Cabinets (lower) – DONE!
7. Kitchen Counters (by fridge) – DONE!
8. Pantry – DONE!
9. Fridge/Freezer – DONE!
10. Kitchen Built In Cabinet – DONE!
11. Digitizing Files
12. Computer Files
13. Office Desk Drawers – DONE!
14. Office Desk Top
15. Office Baskets (in, out, to do, vertical file) – DONE!
16. Office Filing Cabinet – Part 1 – DONE!
17. Office Filing Cabinet – Part 2 – DONE!
18. Office Hutch – DONE!
19. Office Bookshelves
20. Office Craft Table – DONE!
21. Office Built In Storage Area
22. Laundry Room Shelves
23. Laundry Room Corner Cabinet
24. Laundry Room Table Area
25. Guest Bedroom Closet (toy closet)
26. Child’s Bedroom Closet
27. Child’s Bedroom Closet
28. Child’s Desk
29. Children’s Clothes (upstairs)
30. Guest Bedroom Dresser
31. Guest Bathroom Vanity
32. Linen Closet (lower shelves)
33. Linen Closet (upper shelves)
34. Play Room
35. Living Room DVD Cabinet/Mantle/Entertainment Center
36. Large Storage Closet
37. Small Storage Closet Shelves
38. Small Storage Closet Banker’s Boxes
39. Downstairs Bathroom Closet
40. Downstairs Play Room
41. Screened In Porch Area
42. Downstairs TV Area
43. Downstairs Bathroom
44. Mud Room
45. Garage Left Side Shelves
46. Garage Middle Shelves
47. Garage Right Side Shelves
48. Garage Tool Storage Cabinet
49. Garage Floor Space
50. Walls/Pictures
51. Scrapbooking Supplies/Area

What did you do this week to declutter??

To your success,

Dr. Laura

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