Hoarding - A New Start

NoahFence · 18 January 2013 at 1:12PM

Hi,

I'd also like to join.

I first read the old thread a few weeks ago. I probably read about a quarter of it and only discovered the current thread yesterday.

I recognised a lot of "me" in some of the posts in the old thread:

* The emotional attachment to (some classes of) things
* The "it might be handy one day" mindset
* The past losses and other life experiences

Stuff like that.

I've got a particular problem with far too many clothes - unusual, maybe, for a male?

I'm moving in with my OH later in the Spring. She, too, is a bit of a hoarder (not as bad as me). The theory is that "nothing that doesn't belong in our new home goes there". In reality I suspect that's too ambitious a thought, but if we can move in that direction that will be great.

NoahFence

lostinrates · 18 January 2013 at 1:13PM

blossomhill wrote: »

Ah the days of corporate freebies! I remember a colleague and I persuaded our boss we needed a particular computer course because the trainers gave logo'd clocks at that one and we already had 2 calculators from their other courses and fancied a change. Then the mug, then the umbrella ...

Dericharded the calcs a month or so ago, after 10 years, and the clock, never use logo'd mugs even at work (yuk) lost the brolly

Brollies we sent home with friends who have to get to their cars when leaving here (about 8o yards or so to the car area from our house ). mugs we use for the yard. Calculators we don't get. T shirts it turns out we where (I have been sleeping in a soft drinks brand t shirt recently) and fridge magnets it turns out we use too. Just...not on the fridge.

lostinrates · 18 January 2013 at 1:15PM

Welcome Noah!

Do all the clothes fit you? What do you wear and not wear?

Dh doesn't like throwing away old shirts but uses them for rougher wear....lonely thing is he creates more rough shorts than he needs!

NoahFence · 18 January 2013 at 1:35PM

lostinrates wrote: »

Welcome Noah!

Do all the clothes fit you? What do you wear and not wear?

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes, most of the clothes fit me.

I've been trying to get rid of those that don't fit or I won't wear. Last week, for example, I took 10 t-shirts and a couple of thermal vests to the local charity clothes bin.

My weight fluctuates signinificantly. So, for trousers for example, I have a section of "fits now", "tight" or "too small". That makes sense to me given that my weight does fluctuate and I don't have oodles of money to spend.

I've tried to cut down purchases in the recent Christmas Sales, with some improvement. But the temptation to get a bargain is a powerul siren song.

I've probably disposed of (most of?) the easy stuff. The best I can do at the moment it to try not to buy, and at least stop making the problem worse.

NoahFence · 18 January 2013 at 1:46PM

I'm not sure if anyone else has posted about this but Radio 4 had an interesting play about a clothes hoarder yesterday.

It's called "Outside In" and is available now on Listen Again.

I tried to post a link to the BBC site but, as a new user here, I'm apparently not allowed to post a link.

I recognise some of "me" there, although I've tried to reduce to zero the clothes that still have labels on and stop keeping the nicer clothes for some undefined future time.

I don't think I've ever left any online purchases unopened in the box. It seems that some people do.

sjprmc01 · 18 January 2013 at 1:54PM

My OH tries to keep new things new (in packaging with tags on tucked away) as long as possible. It really annoys me. He says he needs for example new trainers his are falling apart I buy him new ones and suddenly he is glueing the old ones back together!!!!!!

I buy a lot but I wear new things straight away I only keep tags on things that are for the kids in size-up and I mostly know when something is ready to be chucked. (Again unlike OH whose excuse for keeping most unwearable items is that they are for washing the car in. He washes it all of about 5 times a yr so he'd be changing tops about 10 times during each car wash to get any use out of them under his excuse)

blossomhill_2 · 18 January 2013 at 1:55PM

Hello and thanks for the LINK Noah, pls thank Noah not me Folks

lostinrates · 18 January 2013 at 2:11PM

NoahFence wrote: »

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes, most of the clothes fit me.

I've been trying to get rid of those that don't fit or I won't wear. Last week, for example, I took 10 t-shirts and a couple of thermal vests to the local charity clothes bin.

My weight fluctuates signinificantly. So, for trousers for example, I have a section of "fits now", "tight" or "too small". That makes sense to me given that my weight does fluctuate and I don't have oodles of money to spend.

I've tried to cut down purchases in the recent Christmas Sales, with some improvement. But the temptation to get a bargain is a powerul siren song.

I've probably disposed of (most of?) the easy stuff. The best I can do at the moment it to try not to buy, and at least stop making the problem worse.

Noah, it's interesting the way you classify your clothes as fits now, tight and too small......no too big ATM?

. Not unusual at the time of year but think carefully about the too smalls. My weight fluctuates a lot too (over about four sizes normally :mad:) but with a steady upwards trend. I have decided to throw away all my smallest 'crud' wear...based on the fact I am too old for a lot of it now any way (rarely an issue with classic mens clothing). But...for example...I have suggested to dh that he too old for t shirts with 'charcters' on them ( he has a monster much t shirt for example....and is in his mid thirties now. ).

You sound like you have made a really grew start, WELL DONE. Perhaps aim for a less full but more shisticated wardrobe?

suzitiger · 18 January 2013 at 2:25PM

NoahFence wrote: »

Hi,

I'd also like to join.

I first read the old thread a few weeks ago. I probably read about a quarter of it and only discovered the current thread yesterday.

I recognised a lot of "me" in some of the posts in the old thread:

* The emotional attachment to (some classes of) things
* The "it might be handy one day" mindset
* The past losses and other life experiences

Stuff like that.

I've got a particular problem with far too many clothes - unusual, maybe, for a male?

I'm moving in with my OH later in the Spring. She, too, is a bit of a hoarder (not as bad as me). The theory is that "nothing that doesn't belong in our new home goes there". In reality I suspect that's too ambitious a thought, but if we can move in that direction that will be great.

NoahFence

Hi NoahFence and welcome, love the username!
Yes you sound alot like me, I would call myself a boarderline hoarder as we don't have piles and piles of things everywhere but we do have alot of things we don't need and the hoard has started to creep in so I need to tackle it before it gets worse.
I think the new home idea is very sensible and I will also take this on board as we are moving very soon.
My OH hoards clothes and paperwork as his two 'big ones' so I don't think it is as uncommon as you think, but maybe males talk about it less?

On other news as I have just mentioned above we are MOVING!! I am very excited and also very nervous as we have ALOT of stuff that needs to go.
BUT...I have started and I have cleared some stuff in the junk room (Hallway I mean lol) 1 binbag of charity stuff, 1 bag for ebay, a few bits for freecycle and a couple've small bags of rubbish. Not bad for a mornings work and I am going to carry on for the next couple've hours until I need to go out. :T
I hope everyone is keeping well and keeping warm in the snow

greengoblin · 18 January 2013 at 4:00PM

NoahFence wrote: »

I'm not sure if anyone else has posted about this but Radio 4 had an interesting play about a clothes hoarder yesterday.

It's called "Outside In" and is available now on Listen Again.

I tried to post a link to the BBC site but, as a new user here, I'm apparently not allowed to post a link.

I recognise some of "me" there, although I've tried to reduce to zero the clothes that still have labels on and stop keeping the nicer clothes for some undefined future time.

I don't think I've ever left any online purchases unopened in the box. It seems that some people do.

Thanks for the heads up - just given it a listen

Welcome to the thread by the way:j

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hoarding - A New Start

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