Clearing things out, hoarder alert

[mazza]

:help:

I can't be the only person that holds onto things just in case I need them at some point in the future??

Well, times change and I feel the need to clear loads (and I mean loads) of stuff out of the house.

The trouble is, I have the good intentions but am finding it so hard to be as ruthless as I really need to be in order to get the space back that I soooo desperately need.

Just today, I managed to clear some old clothes out of my wardrobe but every single thing was a real brain ache...keep it? Lob it? If I'm keeping it, why am I keeping it? if I lob it what if I need it...??etc etc :rolleyes:

At the end of it all my head was pure :wacko: .

So really what I am asking is for some inspiration or a kick up the butt to make me get on and knuckle down - it can't really be this difficult...can it?

I have so much to get through, but I seem to have stopped before I've really even got started!!! :shout:

Any tips from minimalist persons are truly welcome!! Many thanks :notworthy:

[coppernob]

This might sound morbid but the way I look at it is you can't take it with you so could someone else get better use of things than you. Must admit, I find it hard throwing clothes out too, in case they come back in fashion :D I love it when we get a charity bag through the door to fill up as I know it's for a good cause.CN

[sp54]

Mr sp is the hoarder in our house :yes:

I go by the ' two year rule'. If you haven't worn or used it for 2 years then it is time to get rid of. It's hard, but it is true :yes:

[mazza]

:blush: I also have all my bank statements since I ever opened my account....Oh dear! :blush:

[sp54]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mazza @ 14th January 2007 - 9:33 PM) 227126</div>:blush: I also have all my bank statements since I ever opened my account....Oh dear! :blush:[/b]

:lol: That's not good, Mazza :rolleyes: :no:

[Beth]

:lol: first way to get inspiration mazza....re watch Mr Trebus in life of grime!!! that will get you going :lol:

second way, buy a feng shui book :D and you can see why it is good to be clutter free :bookread:

thirdly, when you are clearing out stuff you never use or will need again and you are umming and arring about keep or throw.....think how much you might get for it at a car boot or on ebay :thumbs:

[mazza]

Mr Trebus, oooh I know. He lived near where I lived when I was small!! :o

I can safely say I am not as bad as him, although sometimes I feel like I am no different!!!

See, now this is my problem, I know I could sell some of my stuff but realistically I'll never get to do a car boot sale so I need to just accept that and get on with it.

I will have a go at ebay though - stuff that's easy to send off, methinks :D .

Also I am impatient - I want it all away now before I can change my mind!! :lol:

Think I'd better dust my paper shredder off and get going on the bank statements too :hihi:.....

[Crazy Dog]

My SO has the biggest horde of used carrier bags I have ever seen in my life.

WHY?! :angry:

I‘m a plumber.

It does seem that almost every house I go to the lady customers always have a horde of carrier bags under the sink! :blink:

[Sparrow]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Crazy Dog @ 14th January 2007 - 9:46 PM) 227133</div>It does seem that almost every house I go to the lady customers always have a horde of carrier bags under the sink! :blink:[/b]


:lol: I have got a bag of carrier bags under my sink!! You never know when you might need one! :lol:

[mazza]

:blush: :blush: :blush: This gets worse...I also confess to having lots of carrier bags under my sink ***runs off to hide in shame***

In my defence (before I run away) I use them for my bin, but sometimes I have too many for the holder to contain and they fall out......... :rolleyes:

Oh lorks, i feel the need to start on the kitchen sink cupboard now, but what about the shredder??? :blink: :cry:

:lol:

[sp54]

The only thing I do hoard is carrier bags :lol: :hihi: :hihi:

[coppernob]

Me too, the carrier bag thing I mean :blush:

[Beth]

I never buy bin bags, just re use all the carrier bags I aquire on my travels! :D

[Annabel]

I am not a hoarder at all, but even I have too many carrier bags lurking under my sink! :lol:

I can really identify with GEG's comment about moving house, Mr Hubby Annabel and I have been married 10 years and have moved three times. So I really can say most earnestly that having a lot of tat just is no good at all. When we moved just now, I still managed to fill a skip with stuff I dont use, some of it was still good stuff, but there was no way I could bring it to this new house, so I just had to grit my teeth and hoof it in the skip - I chucked out our daughter's cot, her highchair, loads of her old toys, really old crockery and other kitchen items. I am sure a lot of people would be shocked at what I got rid of, that was perfectly useable.

But I am so glad we did that because I really do think I can honestly say that what I have in my house now, I do use and make the most of - how many of us have had it ingrained in us to keep things for 'best'? what is that all about? the 'best' is now!, not some vague date in the future that might never arrive!

I also 100% agree with SP, if you havent used something for more than two years, you never will so why is it still in your house?So, get on with it Mazza and c huck all that cr*p out, you will feell 100% better for it, hoarding stuff drags you down and makes you depressed, let the light come back into those crevices!

Dont forget you can always put stuff on Freecycle, you wouldnt believe the stuff people will take off your hands.

Oh and dont be sidetracked, if you are clearing a cupboard, get on and do it, dont stop for anyone or anything AND dont look at stuff too closely, just a quick galnce ' will I use this? yes/no..in the black sack if no, and dont go back to it! you really have to be ruthless, like pruning an overgrown plant in the garden!

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

sticking stiff on Freecycle is an excellent idea :yes:

i'm not too bad at being ruthless, however i usually end up with a whole pile of black bags for the charity shop, then, after a few months of looking at the bags i end up putting it out for the binmen, just because i'm too lazy to take it to the shop :lol:

[StoneHenge]

I do keep carriers, but since moving we don't have a recycle collection, as it's all on site, so I have to bag up the various bottles, tins etc, as well as save the rest to take the shopping home in and use agan.

you could always move to a boat like me Mazza, no room for clutter at all!

We did loads of car boots so it would be worth it for you if you have lots of stuff in reasonable condition. We made quite a bit of money (ranging between £70 - 150) for our stuff!

Just ask yourself, if you threw it away, would your life be any poorer for it? After all, we are all lucky to have anything to hoard at all compared to some, so be ruthless!!!!

[mazza]

Oh lordy...
have just found two hi-fi systems in the loft ( :blink: ). Have two huge boxes of toys to go, two sacks of clothes (so far)

but dig it - a beta-max video recorder from the loft too......I have no idea where it even came from!!! :wow:

And this is still just scratching the surface :rolleyes: .

Am sick of it for today now....time for a break :coffee:

[Annabel]

someone is trying to sell a beta max video on Ebay, it is being advertised as faulty, if yours is in working condition, you should maybe stick it up for sale you might get a few £££'s for it. there are clubs devoted to betamax videos...just do a search on google!

[tact77]

freecycle is great. I advertised a telly last night at 6pm the guy had picked it up by 7.30. :thumbs:

[mazza]

oooh, maybe freecylce would work for the betamax vid then? Surely someone lurks in my area who has a passion for these things!! :thumbs: . (it weighs an absolute ton... :blink: )

[Omega]

Mr O is a horder and apparently always has been (only know him since 2000). When we moved house (from ex NsFH) we had to clear our a loft with over 27 years worth of kids toys; old furniture; jigsaws; old suitcases; wood (he didn't have a garage then) old sewing machines (yes plural!) old electric fires; demijohns filled with wine he & his mate made some 20 years earlier 8-X ......... there was soooooooo much to clear out :bigeyes: Took an age and it was quite nostalgic for him :(

A lot of it went into the local freighter that came round once a month to collect rubbish; but the "good things" were cleaned up and we gave it to our Medical Centre that has a 2nd hand shop and any money made goes to the medical centre and also their nursery (plants) that they had in the grounds. So everything went to a very good cause. I can remember making 4 trips with our big car ladened with goodies for them, including clothes etc. Knowing it was going to a good cause, and because the medical centre had done so much for his famly it made it a lot easier :thumbs:

Now in our new house? Well hubby has a double garage :doh: It's his workshop and he has so much wood, he always has a piece of wood for the liitle job that needs doing :hihi: Such a DIY man! His favourite saying: "It'll come in handy one day" and do you know what? It nearly always does :hihi:

[mickturate]

Freecycle!

google freecycle and your home town/area and give it all away! the recipient picks it all up.
and
should you wish; you can add to your collection from freecycle for free!

seriously I've moved on all sorts of stuff, clothes, old pc bits, building stuff etc

:D

[Planet 24]

but dig it - a beta-max video recorder from the loft too......I have no idea where it even came from!!! w00t.gif[/b]


They ARE much sought after.

One thing I will say is buy a video and leave it in the box unopened and your kids will have an antique - honest!

I have a bakelite TV that people are always trying to prise off me and it still works!

[Domestic Goddess]

Mr DG and I aren't too bad - but our daughters are terrible horders! Their rooms are full of junk such as Burger King plastic toys and there's Playmobile everywhere! The eldest daughter also has CDs coming out of her ears and make up, earrings and other pre teen accessories!

Some days I dream about them leaving home and having a tidy house!!!!

[mazza]

:thumbs: someone's interested in the betamax vid - yay! Thanks for reminding me about Freecycle :D .

I think I'll try a dusty old fax machine next!! :thumbs:

[Planet 24]

Well, Ive been in the doghouse for last 6 weeks and I would just like to know why MY stuff is rubbish and his are collectables!

I'm on my last warning - he really has to go :lol:

[sesentayuno]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sparrow @ 14th January 2007 - 9:52 PM) 227135</div>:lol: I have got a bag of carrier bags under my sink!! You never know when you might need one! :lol:[/b]

Me too :o and am not a lady, guess I have inherited this old habit from my nan, bag all the rubbish in carrier bags, then bag them all in bin bags, that way your rubbish is managable and smell less. I guess I am a bit of a hoarder but I will always to a point with the mess and start throwing things out like crazy :)

Ses

[mazza]

:kick: someone's coming to get the video later!!! hooray!

I think I am going to like freecycle! :thumbs:

[sp54]

Wow! That's a result, mazza :D

I'd never even heard of freecycle before, but will go and check it out now :yes:

[Annabel]

hey! thats a result!

freecycle is excellent! :lol:

[Noise Stopper]

I went on that course MrsSB, and I still have that book I think it's in a box in the attic with some other stuff! :doh:
Well someone had to do it!

Ian :nfh1:

[Annabel]

:lol: @ dibuzz! too right!

[coppernob]

I had to check I never had a sister then,Rowan, you could be talking about me there when it comes to clothes :blush: .Freecycle are meant to be brilliant,glad you got a result from it :thumbs:

[mazza]

:lol:!! I have a feng shui book too...I think that's on a bookshelf that hasn't been touched for many moons... :rolleyes: .

Oh this is going so well, I am also getting interest in an old sewing machine (help me, I don't even sew, neither do I know WHY it was in my loft) and an old food mixer!! (Ok at least I know that used to be my mum's ;) )....

Yippeee!

I know they are probably worth a few bob, but it's true as dibuzz said, it just isn't worth the hassle!

Bye bye junk!! :blow:

[Annabel]

I know they are probably worth a few bob[/b]

I think this is why a lot of stuff gets hoarded, people think maybe if they keep something it might appreciate in value or still has a value if they sold it on Ebay or a car boot sale or whatever. However, it really is true that your old junk is really only worth a few bob - a bob being 5p! ;)

I have a lot of books to get rid of, I was going to put them on Ebay, but now I think its more bother than it will be worth and I think I will donate them to the local library instead... :rolleyes:

[Crazy Dog]

The last time I decluttered I got rid of all my Feng Shui books. :lol: