A graphic of a cluttered shelving unit with lots of CDs and DVDs spilling out onto the floor in disarray

Episode 157 – Decluttering DVDs and CDs

CDs and DVDs - we have hundreds, sometimes thousands of them in our homes. Is it time to let them go? Today's great debate is what's more important - the space or the stuff?

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Episode 312 – 10 clutter hotspots and how to fix them

Episode 311 – How to declutter when everything in your home feels sentimental

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Transcript of this podcast episode

[00:00:00] Ingrid: CDs and DVDs. Oh, we have so many of them, not even 10, not 20 hundreds of them. Today's debate in the podcast is going to be, are we going to declutter them and get some space? Or do we want to save them all? Is it going to be the space or the stuff?

[00:00:23] We are now on YouTube and you can see us. So for those of you watching on YouTube, I'm waving at you now.

[00:00:29] Hello. Hello. So you can not only listen, but also see us. So how exciting is this? We are on YouTube. So is it 

[00:00:36] Lesley: exciting, though? Is it exciting to see us? I, it might take the mystique out of it completely to see that we're just sat here behind our desk. Just talking to each other. That's true. That's true.

[00:00:45] Yeah. We're not together. Sadly. Maybe one day we'll be together, Ingrid. 

[00:00:49] Ingrid: Yeah, that would be nice. Well, I think it would be nice. 

[00:00:52] Lesley: I don't know how we'd be together. I don't know how, how we do it. I don't think we've ever done it for any filming together. We did our very first podcast we did together. Didn't we like Number one and four or something we did together.

[00:01:04] Yeah. We've been separate the whole time. 

[00:01:07] Ingrid: I know, I know, you know, and for those of you who are listening for a while, you know, all of this stuff, but thank you for sticking with us. We love our loyal listeners. So thanks for being here for our weekly podcast. And I'm going to tell you this, this week's podcast is going to be interesting because we're going to talk about CDs and DVDs.

[00:01:28] 157 episodes in. We're going to finally talk about this, Lesley. I know. I 

[00:01:33] Lesley: can't believe it. I can't believe we've never talked about CDs and DVDs. I'm not going to lie. Like, how did we get? 156 episodes in before we thought that was an important thing to talk about, but here we are anyway, because we had so many other things and we've still got so many other things.

[00:01:48] The bottom line is the house has got a lot of stuff in it that we can talk about. Hasn't it? So we're never going to run out of stuff to talk about. 

[00:01:54] Ingrid: Well, I hope, well, maybe it's how long 

[00:01:59] Lesley: we're here. Can you imagine for like 87 still talking about still doing a podcast every week? Well, it'd be nice if 

[00:02:05] Ingrid: we could, I think we could actually manage to do that.

[00:02:07] I think we could probably hit like thousand episodes. 

[00:02:12] Lesley: Yeah. Anyway. Yeah. I hope that we're still doing our podcast when I'm 87, even if maybe not, maybe not every week. I might be a bit much, maybe like, you know, occasional podcasts, but anyway. You would only be 82 then. 'cause you're like a lot younger than me.

[00:02:29] I 

[00:02:29] Ingrid: know, I know. 

[00:02:31] Lesley: Anyway. Well, we need to talk about what we're talking about instead of talk, instead of talking about nostalgia and wasting 30 years in the future for us to be old and gray and doing a 

[00:02:41] Ingrid: podcast. Well, I need to know one thing first. Lesi before, let, let's, let's just get back to the case in point here.

[00:02:47] Have you got any CDs or DVDs in your house? Have I got them? 

[00:02:52] Lesley: Yeah. No. Has my husband got them? Yes. 

[00:02:57] Ingrid: Absolutely. Okay. All right. 

[00:03:00] Lesley: Lots of them. Lots of them. 

[00:03:01] Ingrid: Okay. So this hits home. This podcast. Yes. 

[00:03:05] Lesley: It's always the culprit. Always the culprits, but they are nicely containerized and they've got a fabulous storage drawer, which I had built years ago.

[00:03:13] So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They don't bother me. 

[00:03:17] Ingrid: True. So shall I tell you what the story is in my house? Yeah, go on. 

[00:03:21] Lesley: Go for it. Go for it. I know that you will have them. I know that you've got them. 

[00:03:25] Ingrid: Well, I don't have any more CDs. I know. I know. I know. Believe it or not. I've got like six CDs left in my car because I still have a car with a CD player.

[00:03:37] So I've got a couple of random ones. I don't know the ones that I ended up in my car. I don't even know how this happens, but there's a couple of random ones in my car left. I know CDs in this house, maybe, maybe like one with some music that my husband recorded once somewhere, like a really rogue one, but yeah, no, we decluttered them ages ago.

[00:03:59] I had these two beautiful Billy CD cases from Ikea with a Ingrid side and the yarn side and all alphabetized. And at one point we just looked at each other and went, when was the last time we actually played a CD? And neither of us could remember. And then we decluttered them all and I tried to sell them and it was horrible and I just don't ended up donating.

[00:04:21] So we're definitely going to talk about donating them. Um, but it was a long time ago. It was a long, I actually can't believe it myself that we did this, but I was like, I just don't want to have boxes full of CDs in my loft or in my basement somewhere. What's the point? So let's bite the bullet here. And I have not regretted it.

[00:04:39] Not accredited at all. DVDs, I do have some. Not crazy amounts. I do declutter them, but we have some favorites that we love to watch over and over again. We still have a DVD player. Yes, we stream all the time here now. So the DVDs do come out less, but there is still a couple of boxes. How many, maybe 50, but not talking hundreds and hundreds, not a whole wall full of DVDs, but there's some favorite ones like the Lord of the Rings or something that's like, and, and all of the, um, like the Pulp Fiction and the ones that we really like.

[00:05:14] So yeah. 

[00:05:15] Lesley: Yeah. And I think that's the point, isn't it? Really? There's a lot of attachment that goes along with CDs and DVDs because they form quite a special part of our life. If you love your music or love your films, and it's very hard, isn't it? It's actually. Decide that you're going to donate or get rid of something that you truly, truly love.

[00:05:32] That brings you joy. And that's where we have this strange kind of like, Oh, I really want to get rid of them because I just love them. And what happens if I can't find them on a streaming service or, you know, they're really, really special or what happens if you want to take them away with me and watch them somewhere different, or, you know, you can't see a time when you're never going to want to.

[00:05:51] Watch that film, listen to that music again, but the point is that 90 percent of the time it's fairly straightforward to get hold of that in a streaming service, isn't it? And that's the thing. So CDs and DVDs are outdated technology, bottom line, aren't they? If we're being, if we're cutting to the chase, they are outdated.

[00:06:13] I mean, we haven't even gone with videos. I think we did do a bit, did we do a videos podcast? We must've done a videos one, have we? I don't think we've done videos either. What's wrong with us? But anyway, videos are even more old school. I 

[00:06:25] Ingrid: know, videos and cassettes for those in the eighties that know, still know what a cassette is.

[00:06:32] Lesley: No, my kids are like, yeah, what's a, what's a VCR and what's a Betamax video and all that kind of stuff. But anyway, we are not getting, we are not digressing onto video because that's a whole new thing. Yeah. People typically do have CDs and DVDs in their home. And this sentiment attached to them is quite strong because as I've said, they are very, very special.

[00:06:50] So it's hard to, to kind of wrench them away from yourself. But the problem is on the flip side to that is that they take up a lot of space. They're quite compact. Of course they are. But you're still, you know, Ingrid's talking about her Billy bookcases. A lot of us have had them. Those thin storage units that were perfect at the time from Ikea.

[00:07:09] Everyone's got, and she could split them between. Ingrid and Jan, which is absolutely perfect, or the kids, or whatever. A lot of people have got several of those, they don't just have one, they've got several, because they've got so many, um, video, I'm saying videos now again, CDs and DVDs. But yeah, it's a tricky one.

[00:07:26] Because they do take up space aesthetically, I think there was a time back in the kind of 90s where it was quite cool to display them. We were very proud of them, so we wanted them on display in our home. But now that we've kind of gone through, we're kind of coming back around again, aren't we? But now we've gone for a more minimalist look.

[00:07:45] Most people in their homes. Don't want that busy ness of a visual of CDs and DVDs in front of them. Cause it is quite a messy look, isn't it? So tricky, it's a tricky one. Ultimately you have to decide whether you want the space or the 

[00:08:01] Ingrid: stuff. And you know what, Lesley, it's not only that it's emotionally quite tricky.

[00:08:07] They were so expensive. We remember how much we had to save up to buy a CD or DVD. The young people don't, they just. Talk to an Alexa, you know? Would you like to? Oh yeah. . 

[00:08:23] Lesley: See here we have the sun. Come in there. You say hello the sun. The dogs now. So

[00:08:35] Ingrid: Okay, 

[00:08:35] Lesley: take the dogs out. Go on. Go ahead. So we're looking after my friend's dogs for a couple of days. And so there you go. 

[00:08:46] Ingrid: And they're lovely. They're lovely dogs, but they're 

[00:08:49] Lesley: not supposed to be part of the podcast. This is what happens when you're recording live and on film. Yeah. Anyway. Let us carry on.

[00:08:56] Let us carry on. They are indeed very expensive. Cost a lot of money. 

[00:09:00] Ingrid: Yeah. So I think that's the thing that kind of holds people a bit ransom as well. It's a bit like I, I paid so much money. I have this huge collection, which is in my head still worth thousands and thousands of pounds or dollars, because I remember I paying 1999 for the CD.

[00:09:22] And now because we're all like Talking to Alexis and streaming music on our computers and on our phones and everywhere. We just don't realize how expensive it used to be. And I think that's a critical part in why people find it difficult to let go as well. Yeah. I 

[00:09:41] Lesley: mean, my husband loves his music. I mean, you know, he's at concerts.

[00:09:44] Several times a month. So he lives, eats and breathes music and film in fact. And so we probably have a ridiculous amount of CDs and DVDs. And he is not partying with them anytime soon. He thinks about it sometimes and he plays around, but he never, ever does that. There's a lot of money in there, but the problem is as well, and we are going to talk about donation a little bit more later.

[00:10:04] But if you try and sell them, then you get pennies for them because they haven't held their value for the most part. And so that's another reason why you look at that and think this is hard because it costs me so much money, but actually if I sold it, it would give me pennies back. And so there's just such a mismatch, isn't there in that?

[00:10:22] And that's something we really struggle with as well, isn't it? 

[00:10:25] Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think as well, you know, the, the CD, I think we still have this nostalgia of, especially with the CDs when you can have the lyrics in a little booklet, you know what we can see ourselves. I mean, we're all getting older, but we still remember in our heads that we used to.

[00:10:41] Get the little booklet out and, and, and even with DVDs where they've got like on the inside of the little booklets, they've got the story of the film and some comments of the actors and it's all these random things. It's that nostalgia as well. I think that, that connects 

[00:10:53] Lesley: us. Yeah. Yeah. And I know when I first started out, um, decryption, which is 12 years ago now, a lot of people would then donate easily LPs or vinyls.

[00:11:04] No problem. And of course, what's happened now is LPs and vinyls have come back into vogue and people have got regrets having got rid of them. And so it's hard to know what's going to happen as well, isn't it? So that's a tough one too, isn't it? When you've got that memory of the fact that loads of people got rid of those LPs and They should potentially have kept them or could have kept them if they wanted to do something with them.

[00:11:28] So that's at the back of people's minds as well. So the emotional connection with this is strong, isn't it Ingrid? And we're all about the emotions with decluttering. So it's a tough one. 

[00:11:38] Ingrid: Yeah, very much so. I mean, I remember vividly when we got rid of our LP and our LP player and our record player.

[00:11:47] Occasionally, I think there's a tinge of regret. The CDs has never really been a regret, but with the LPs, yes. But on the other hand, if I then look realistically back, we never played them. So I think what's the point in keeping a hold of all this stuff, if it's then sitting there getting outdated and at some point, the CD and DVD players will go as well, because there's been such tremendous move into streaming.

[00:12:14] It's just, you can really get. just about everything now. And it's just, you go with the times, you know, it's, it's just. It's very interesting. 

[00:12:26] Lesley: Yeah, I mean, the thing is with record players, and just jumping back to records again, it's not that you necessarily need that record, those records, or that record player, but it's a cool way to do it.

[00:12:37] And so it's more about the sort of the cool vibe, isn't it, than the actual necessity, because actually you would be much better off playing a streamed version of that, where the quality will be much better in general than it will. On a very old record, which is probably scratched and things like that. So it's more about it being quite cool.

[00:12:54] So we're probably never going to have that actually with CDs. I don't, I don't know, but who knows, who knows, this is the thing who knows, you know, there's furniture that was in vogue in the fifties now that's right back in fashion again, and you just never know what's going to happen with it. You know, things come around again.

[00:13:10] Don't they? It's a tough one. 

[00:13:13] Ingrid: Yeah. Well, I, I must admit, I, I remember, I mean, I know we're not going to talk about a tape cassettes, Lesley, but I think that's one of the things, you know, that maybe should not come back to fashion because it was such a pain.

[00:13:26] Lesley: Okay. So welcome back. So we talked through the emotions and nostalgia and all that to do with CDs and DVDs, and it's very tough and the emotions are strong. We've got to make a decision here. What do we want? Do we want the additional space?

[00:13:37] Or do we want the stuff? And so we've got options, haven't we? When we store them, we don't have to keep them in the body, in the heart of our home. We could put them in a loft. We could put them in a garage. We cut them. We could put them off site. We could get rid of boxes. So let's talk a little bit about if we've made a decision, we are not ready to offload our CD and DVD collection.

[00:13:57] What are we going to do with them? And what's the best way to manage them Ingrid? 

[00:14:01] Ingrid: I think for me, the first and foremost important question is, do you actually Play them because I think that is where it all starts. If you play them, make sure they're accessible because the more accessible they are, the more likely you are to actually then play them more and use them and enjoy them.

[00:14:22] Make sure that when you decide you want to keep them that and you have them accessible that the right CD or DVD is in the right box and that it's complete and you don't have loose CDs and DVDs strewn all over the place so they can get scratched and damaged or make sure they're in the proper cassettes and then you need to start thinking about okay, and What kind of order do I want to have them in?

[00:14:47] Are we going to keep the kids DVDs and CDs separately? Because they're normally a little bit more haphazard with how they handle their stuff. And it's clear that those are their CDs and DVDs. And maybe you can put them on a lower shelf so they can easily access them themselves and choose which one they want to see.

[00:15:05] And do you maybe keep yours somewhere else or higher up? And do you then do it by, by author or actor? By, by artist or by actor or by director or doesn't it matter or do you want to help alphabetical. So I think if you decide to keep them and you use them, take care of them and have them somewhere accessible.

[00:15:28] If you're like, okay. I really want to keep them. I can't buy these bullets. It's too hard, but I don't really never use them anymore either. Then you need to, I think, think about, I need to get some proper storage boxes, maybe some boxes with lids so I can stack some boxes. Can I put them somewhere where it's not damp, where the, where the booklets and things can get damaged?

[00:15:52] Can I put them somewhere where it's dry? Can I put them in a cupboard high up? But they're heavy. So don't forget. If you want to put them in a loft or in a basement, or you need to carry them somewhere, make the box a smaller because they weigh a ton. 

[00:16:08] Lesley: Yeah. Or, you know, if you are going to put them into a loft and when we say loft, we mean an attic in the UK and not a beautiful industrial apartment and condo.

[00:16:17] Um, but yeah, if you're going to put them there, you've really got to think about those extremes of temperature as well. Um, think about whether it's too cold, too hot and so on, but yeah, what you can do is you can take a bigger box. Up to the loft and potentially like offload some of the smaller boxes into it.

[00:16:32] But again, you've got to think about weight in lofts as well, you know, because a lot of people have got books and DVDs and CDs and lofts, and these are heavy things and they do weigh quite heavily on your ceilings. And so do be careful with that. But yeah, as Ingrid says, first and foremost. If you're going to use them and you want to listen to them, they need to be near to where your player then is because otherwise you're never ever going to use them.

[00:16:57] And so to have them in a bedroom when you listen to CDs downstairs is a complete waste of time. You may as well put them in the loft or get rid of them, to be fair, because you're never going to grab them. And then, and also the most important thing is. Even if you do grab them, bring them downstairs and play them, you don't easily put them away if you can't put them away.

[00:17:15] So when we're doing those resets and tidy ups, that's not going to happen if they're not in the room that you're using them in. So that's the kind of thing that we would do to store them in grid. What about if we, if we're going to be brave, we're going to do what you did. It's a big job. You know, you're saying you said we put everything on the computer and that was it.

[00:17:33] That's a huge undertaking. That is probably weeks worth of work. Weeks of work. It was. Yeah, exactly. It's a huge job. You know what I mean? So you've really got to decide what's worth keeping. How am I going to do this? How am I going to, what kind of folder system am I going to put in? How am I going to make sure that searchable so I can find what I need?

[00:17:53] Am I going to put them in the cloud, which I might then have to. Pay for there's so many things. And so do not underestimate how much time and energy and effort that project will take. Number one, but it needs to be done because what you don't want to do is just donate them and lose all that money that you've paid for.

[00:18:10] I mean, you might say, you know what, I bought that back when I was 16 and I've never listened to it. And I just, it just doesn't suit me. So I'm quite happy to get rid of it without having a copy of it. But if it's something special, then that's different, isn't 

[00:18:21] Ingrid: it? Yeah. Yeah, you know what? I, I actually still can't believe we did this project, but we, we kind of decided and then we just knuckle down and honestly, evenings, evenings of pulling CDs in computers and out of computers, and then trying to make sure that the description on the, on the, on the iTunes, I think we put them all on or something.

[00:18:46] I don't even know. It's so long ago to make sure that it's the right artist is the right album, because otherwise Then it doesn't help because it automatically kind of searched at that time already. And then indeed, in the meantime, making sure is the system backing up. So if there is a glitch somewhere, you don't lose all the things you don't know anymore, where you're up to.

[00:19:06] So you constantly, and like I said, we put it on an external drive on an iPod and on a cloud and on the computer, because we were like, This is the, this collection is too big to just kind of go, Hey, let's save it somewhere and we'll see, because you need to have those backups, because otherwise, if something happens to that one copy that you have, then you have a serious problem.

[00:19:30] So, Yeah, we, we really, it was, it was a massive project, but honestly, a weight off my shoulders. And then I thought, huh, there is a local, uh, little music shop here. I'm going to take all my books. I mean, I should have, I should have done this completely differently. I mean, hindsight is a beautiful thing, isn't it?

[00:19:53] Lesley? I still, so I schlepped all the boxes to this shop and I went, I want to sell my CDs. And he kind of looked at me going. Okay. Wow. Okay. And this is not, so he kind of looked through the boxes and I think he fished out like 10 or something went, okay, you know, this is it. The rest, I don't want that. I was like, Oh, Oh, okay.

[00:20:14] And I don't think music Mac by was a thing at the time yet. So in the end, I just like, okay, I, I, this project was now finished in my head. And I just went, I'm going to donate it all to the charity shop. And I'm going to, so that was my fantastic contribution that year to the charity shop. And I. Yeah. Felt good about donating.

[00:20:31] Lesley: Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. And, you know, just jumping back to us talking about putting it on the computer and streaming it, you may not feel that's necessary because you can get a hold of that. But the problem is what, what people want to do is they want to remember, don't they? What they have. And so that's why you need to kind of keep a record of it.

[00:20:49] So even if you don't put it onto a computer and download your own version, it's always a good idea, if that's your collection that's been special, just to download that from your streaming service. So you don't necessarily need to take it from your actual CD, because you can stream it and download it, depending on the way you've got your music set up.

[00:21:05] But it's a big one. Now, the interesting thing you say you took it to, and you're so right, whether that's LPs, or whether that's CDs, collectors, and, and, and. People that sell those on typically are not bothered about them, they'll, they'll know the ones that are expensive and they've got value, but for the most part they're worth pennies and so they don't want to sell them any more than you do.

[00:21:26] And so, you know, you're going to know whether you're the kind of person that's got in your collection something that may be a little bit more valuable than the normal whether you just went down to the local supermarket and bought. You know, something that was number one for 27 weeks, you know, there's likely to be a lot of those in circulation, so it's not going to have much value, but it's important to, to sort of, you know, do, if you do think you've got anything that's worth anything, do a little bit of research on YouTube, not YouTube, on eBay.

[00:21:53] Sorry. Also YouTube, uh, probably also YouTube, uh, but on eBay to find out whether there is any value before you offload them all to someone, to a charity shop if you can get any money from that might be quite a useful exercise, but don't let it get you bogged down as well. Charity shops are an interesting one because there are even some charity shops who don't accept CDs and DVDs because they feel that it's outdated technology that people no longer want to buy.

[00:22:18] So you don't just take for granted the fact that the charity shops will accept your hundreds of CDs and DVDs because they may not want them. Many charity shops absolutely do, but many don't. So just be aware of 

[00:22:31] Ingrid: that. Yeah. And of course now, and I mean, that wasn't available at the time there's, uh, here in the UK, we've got music, Mac pie, and you can just download an app on your computer and you can scan the little barcode on the back of the CD.

[00:22:44] And then it automatically gives you the price. Doesn't it? 

[00:22:47] Lesley: Yeah, exactly. So there's loads of different ones. Music magpies, if it's other ones, I can't even remember what they are, but basically if you put CD selling my CDs, something will come up in Google and it will be whatever it is local to you. That can be an easy way of doing things and actually if you've got a little bit of time on your hands, you know, you can get 20 for 7p for this and 27p for that and you know if you've got hundreds of them it mounts up and you might get 30 40 pounds, but that's.

[00:23:13] It's got to be worth your time. So you really need to think about the time investment, whether you have got time on your hands and whether it's worth that investment of time for you to do that process. I wouldn't do that. I would just donate them straight away to the charity shop. Cause I know I haven't really got time to go through that project, but if you feel that you have, and you'd prefer to do it that way, then go for it.

[00:23:33] Ingrid: Yeah, I think that's again, indeed, Lesley, I think that's the time or money kind of what weighs, what weighs up against the other. Have you got time for evenings on then to scan CDs or are you like, I'm so glad we've made a decision that we're going to get this out of this house and when I box them up and out, they go putting in my car done with it.

[00:23:53] And then it's a job. No longer that you have to worry about, but just be mindful before boxing them up and putting there somewhere else in your house to then kind of deteriorate in quality in, you know, they can damage that it's no use to anybody anymore. So think that through when you're making this decision, am I keeping these or am I going to let these go?

[00:24:19] Make that decision and, and stand behind it. Don't just go, I'm going to put it somewhere else in my house to deal with later. 

[00:24:27] Lesley: Yeah, because the thing is, and the kind of project that we're talking about here is almost trying to offload a whole collection. So you're making such a big decision. So we're not talking about a random one DVD here and one CD there.

[00:24:39] We're almost talking about making that decision to get rid of them all at once, which is a biggie, isn't it, Ingrid? And maybe you need to do it in a phased approach and that's why it's so difficult. If you are going to offload your entire collection, then that's a big decision. Possibly one of the biggest decisions that you'll make in your house.

[00:24:57] And that's why it's so difficult. It's a similar decision to saying that you will offload all of your books, which would be quite radical to a lot of people as well. So CDs and DVDs. I can't believe you've not got any of that as well. I can't believe it. I suppose. I don't know. I would have thought that you would have had some actually well done for that.

[00:25:14] Well done for that. And I just need to work on Steve then. And he won't get rid of anything. Let me tell you, being married to a declutter, he digs his heels in, I think even more because he's married to somebody who likes to declutter things. And so he's like, Nope, they're going nowhere. So I spend all my time trying to store them in nice places.

[00:25:35] Well, 

[00:25:35] Ingrid: that's the positive, Lesley, your collection is all. Or Steve's collection is all beautiful. It's categorized. It's on shelves that are built exclusively for those. It's all, they're all complete. They're probably all in order. It's not kind of a random just pile of, of stuff. And I think that's the difference, isn't 

[00:25:56] Lesley: it?

[00:25:57] Yeah. Definitely. 

[00:25:58] Ingrid: Definitely. Now, before we go, I actually have one, one last hint and tip for our listeners. If you are going to declutter some CDs and DVDs, just make sure you don't kind of donate your wedding video or your wedding DVD. So pay attention. Check which DVD, if it's in the right case, is the right CD in the right case, because otherwise, first of all, the charity shop can't do anything with them, but make sure you kind of fish out those personal ones that are really special to you, but actually are nobody else's business.

[00:26:33] So that is, I think, something that we need to kind of remind everyone of. I mean, it probably goes a bit more with kind of the old fashioned videos and the tape cassettes when we're still recording our own music. But still, I mean, I have still my wedding on a DVD. So, and I would not want that to go into the charity shop, to be honest.

[00:26:50] Lesley: I think it's really funny that you said a wedding video. That's nobody else's business. Bear in mind, you probably got married in front of like 200 people. There were quite a few people involved in the business at that time. Yes. So CDs and DVDs. I think we can check that one off our list now. Um, for podcast topics.

[00:27:10] And so next week we're going to be talking to the lovely Abby, who's one of her members about her decluttering journey. And she's got some interesting things that she has done that I am. So happy to be delving deep into next week. So listen out for that one next Friday. 

[00:27:26] Ingrid: So thanks everyone for listening and we'll see you

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Want to delve deeper? Read our blog

How to Declutter DVDs and CDs

A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlining Your Collection

With the boom in streaming services, physical media like CDs and DVDs may seem like relics of the past. However, for many people, these items hold sentimental value or represent a significant investment. If you're one of those who have amassed a sizeable collection over the years, you might be wondering how to declutter DVDs and CDs without losing your favorite tunes or films. We will guide you through a step-by-step process to help you declutter your collection efficiently.

Understanding Why You Should Declutter

Before we delve into how to declutter your DVD and CD collection, it's essential to understand why it's necessary. For starters, decluttering can free up valuable space in your home. It also allows you to curate a more meaningful collection by keeping only those items that truly resonate with you.

Moreover, if your collection is gathering dust and not being used regularly, decluttering can prevent potential damage from neglect. Finally, by selling or donating unwanted items, you can give them a new lease on life while potentially earning some extra cash or helping someone else enjoy them.

Step 1: Sort Your Collection

The first step in decluttering any collection is sorting. Start by gathering all your CDs and DVDs together in one place. Then categorise them based on different criteria such as genre, artist or director, year of release, etc., depending on what makes sense for you.

While sorting through your collection, take note of any duplicates or items in poor condition that may need replacing or discarding. Remember that the goal is not just to reduce the number of items but also improve the overall quality of your collection.

Step 2: Decide What To Keep

Once everything is sorted out, it's time to decide what stays and what goes. This can be challenging especially if you're emotionally attached to your collection. A good rule of thumb is to keep only those CDs and DVDs that you genuinely love and enjoy.

Ask yourself: When was the last time I listened to this album or watched this movie? Do I still enjoy it as much as I used to? Does it hold any sentimental value? If the answer is no, it might be time to let it go.

Step 3: Dispose of Unwanted Items Responsibly

After deciding what to keep, the next step is figuring out what to do with the items you no longer want. There are several ways you can dispose of unwanted CDs and DVDs responsibly:

1. Sell them
There are numerous online platforms like Music Magie or eBay where you can sell used CDs and DVDs. This not only helps declutter your collection but also allows you to recoup some of your initial investment.

2. Donate them
Many charities accept donations of used CDs and DVDs. You could also consider donating them to local libraries, schools, or community centers.

3. Recycle them
If your CDs or DVDs are damaged beyond repair, recycling is a great option. Many cities have electronic waste recycling programs that accept these items.

Step 4: Organise Your Remaining Collection

Once you've decluttered your CD and DVD collection, the final step is organising what's left in a way that makes sense for you. This could mean arranging them alphabetically, by genre, or even by color – whatever works best for you.

Learning how to declutter DVDs and CDs can seem daunting at first, but with a systematic approach, it becomes manageable and even enjoyable. By sorting through your collection, deciding what to keep, disposing of unwanted items responsibly, and organising what's left, you'll end up with a streamlined collection that brings joy instead of stress.

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Episode 157 – Decluttering DVDs and CDs

Understanding Why You Should Declutter

Step 1: Sort Your Collection

Step 2: Decide What To Keep

Step 3: Dispose of Unwanted Items Responsibly

Step 4: Organise Your Remaining Collection

Episode 312 – 10 clutter hotspots and how to fix them

Episode 311 – How to declutter when everything in your home feels sentimental

Episode 310 – How to choose what to wear with Jennifer Mackey-Mary

Episode 309 – The evolution from chaotic to calm

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