The cost of clutter? Updated :)

Prudent

silverchair wrote: »

Ive always been a bit of a hoarder. Ive got a lot better because OH hates clutter. But it is very difficult to get rid of things that that others think of as clutter. Its like you have this strange bond with the item (many items though!).
It helps if you move as you realise how much stuff you have accumalated & you forgot even existed. Still when it comes to giving it away, selling it or chucking it its hard.
My OH threatened to throw a couple of my shoes away while we were moving. I think I would have killed him if he did.

Thanks Silverchair . As I am not a hoarder myself it helps to hear how someone feels about their stuff. Do you have any suggestions?

Prudent

Thanks to everyone who contributed. Dd is very busy sorting her stuff and is doing a car boot next Saturday

poppysarah

Thats good news! Hope it goes well for her. (Take old carrier bags if you have any!)

27col

Nip this in the bud now! I am sitting in a room with at least 120 stuffed sheep staring at me from the sofa. This is only one of my OH's many collections.
I was earning from newspaper and meat delivery rounds from a very early age. If I had not, I would have had no pocket money.
"My house, my rules" is a good system to operate under.

nearlyrich

tanith wrote: »

IThen on Saturday he broaches the subject of Applying for A Skills Visa for emigrating to Australia... :eek: I need to get him up that loft pronto or he is going to swan off across the world and leave me with his 'stuff':eek:

My son has just announced he has been approved for one and he is a bit of a hoarder, it definitely runs in the family although I am almost cured my mum was unable to throw anything away that might be useful...she was a war baby. At 16 the OP's DD should be able to appreciate that she can only keep a reasonable amount of stuff, if she is anything like my DD who is now 21 she didn't have a clue how or where to start on culling the soft toys etc.

Good luck to the OP and Tanith

Edited to add I have had a decluttering day today and I have identified a lot of shoes that are unwearable because they hurt my feet, they are worn out or I bought them for a specific outfit or occasion and I will never wear them again....They are in the spare room I can probably sell some of them on Ebay....

greenbee

The problem with decluttering is that you get depressed by the amount of money you have wasted on stuff that you're now categorising as junk I'm having a clearout (again :rolleyes:) at the moment, so I've done a car boot sale and am now freecycling and going to the tip, and am seriously depressed by the things I have paid good money for but not really used.

Good to hear your DD is OK with rehoming the pandas. She probably just didn't want to bin them. Can you make sure that she freecycles/donates any that don't get adopted at the car boot?

If she's doing voluntary work, then maybe she can donate to the cause she is working for?

I know a number of people have commented on the fact that your DD should be working. If she's doing voluntary work and cash isn't an issue, don't push her into it too early - but the odd holiday job (rather than a regular Saturday/evening job) would probably be good if she wants money for something specific. If you can help her find jobs that will give her relevant experience for making career decisions later in life, then so much the better. I worked as a receptionist as a teenager, which wasn't particularly exciting in itself, but I picked up a lot of information (without realising it) about the medical and legal professions (sadly, this made me realise that there was NO WAY I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer :rotfl:). With a holiday job, she should be able to concentrate on her school work during term-time and have time for both a job and her social life (in fact, a waitressing or bar job may improve her social life ) in the holidays. Plus it will give her a good idea about how she's going to make ends meet if she goes to Uni, or what kind of job she might want if she doesn't!

zarazara

Any update? what happened? did the pandas go to the tip? did the OP move to the flat.