Hoarding...not just on TV

loobylou2

Well its back to it for me again!!! Just wish I didn't have such a splitting headache. On a positive note though yesterday I ended up with ten bin bags full of old linen, clothes and books. I also contacted our local hospice and they are coming to collect tomorrow morning. I will do this, I will!!!!!!

mollythewestie

Went to the shops today and walked past all the charity shops again without going in. I Just bought the basics on my shopping list and nothing else.

A momentous day for us today, as I posted a letter to the credit card company asking them to cancel our credit cards. We have paid it off now and I want to get rid of it, as it's far too tempting to have such a high credit limit (It was nearly £7k :eek:).
From now on, if we want something - we will save first, rather than just put it on CC and forget about it.

Byatt

Idris and Loobylou, well done! :T:T

I'm still busy in the kitchen with breaks on here. But I just realised it's the first time in years (:eek:) that I have felt more like myself, the true me...so hoping that lasts. I've also made another appointment with the doctor (unheard of, twice in one year!!) to discuss my hoarding (:eek:) and ask about counselling...(for issues around ex)

Calico, it's lovely to see you again and sorry you are going through a rough time of it. Well done on the not smoking! :T And yes, you deserve a reward. xxx

eta; Molly also well done! :T

blossomhill_2

Byatt wrote: »

Blossom, if it's still there tomorrow, then get it, it's practical and you have a use for it.

Well guess what, I timed the doggie walking to end up at the CS at 9am for opening, and at about 8.55 was overcome with thinking about Richard ... and decided to divert and give the dogs an etxra half hour walk instead - much better for all of us than some storage "solution"

When I got back I googled it to convince myself it was readily available and I would get the chance again ... but it's not, so the one I am passing up is a one-off which should trigger panic buying, but no, if I buy something else now then stuff is flowing in the wrong direction, it needs to flow out not in just now, and I started the day with a large item being collected by a freecycler so don't want to fill newly gained space

Quite honestly, seeing Richard thinking that his problem was only a storage problem, when in fact he had £8million (was it?) of storage available to him ... tells me that my £3 buy wont be the answer!

Any more lurkers out there like to join in?

seven-day-weekend

We have had good declutters three times, when we left our house to go to Spain, and then when we left that house to come back, then when our son and his girlfriend moved out and we had our houes back again. I don't think I'm in any way a hoarder, I LOVE getting rid of things (would prefer to recycle rather than throw away), my clothes all fit into one small wardrobe and a small chest of drawers, , like someone else we only have six plates, mugs etc, we're always getting rid of surplus paperbacks and DVDs. If my mum had left me with 6000 postcards like one poor poster on here, I'd just have slung them. She did in fact leave me a Royal Albert teaset, I sold it on e-bay (never told my sister though).

One nice story, a friend of mine was downsizing from a huge house to a tiny one and therefore had to get rid of most of her stuff. She did not know where to start, so went out for the day and let her daughter (who is like me!) do it. Came back, house decluttered, my friend none the wiser about what had gone.

Another friend of mine has over forty pairs of socks (and that is after me taking a bagful to the charity shop). She insists she needs them all. Why? I suppose people like me just don't understand what goes on in peoples' heads!

(Edited to add: I don't mean to sound insensitive, we all have our own demons. Just saying I don't understand this one in my head, although I can empathise in my heart).

blossomhill_2

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I suppose people like me just don't understand what goes on in peoples' heads!

Nope! you don't by the sounds of it ... and most of us didn't at one time or another but had an emotional loss or trigger that changed us

I didn't understand my hoarding relatives at all when I was younger but became like them to a lesser extent when I lost several key components in my life in very quick succession

In his head your poor lodger was a backpacking globetrotting carefree guy who had so many friends round for dinnerparties when in reality he was a sad guy living in someone else's spare room on his computer ... somewhere along the way he had either lost his former life or lost his ability to work towards his dream ... I hope he is someone between the two right now

There but for the grace ...

seven-day-weekend

blossomhill wrote: »

Nope! you don't by the sounds of it ... and most of us didn't at one time or another but had an emotional loss or trigger that changed us

I didn't understand my hoarding relatives at all when I was younger but became like them to a lesser extent when I lost several key components in my life in very quick succession

In his head your poor lodger was a backpacking globetrotting carefree guy who had so many friends round for dinnerparties when in reality he was a sad guy living in someone else's spare room on his computer ... somewhere along the way he had either lost his former life or lost his ability to work towards his dream ... I hope he is someone between the two right now

There but for the grace ...

Yes, we did feel very sorry for him. He moved back to his parents, they were absolutely horrified at the eight vanloads of stuff that we brought to their house. I just hope he is now getting the help he needs.

And I agree' there but for the grace'..... When I am stressed I am the opposite of a hoarder, I can't buy anything, especially clothes, in case it is 'wrong'. That's why I entitled my second post ' a view from the other side'.

I didn't mean to sound insensitive and apologise if I did. I have edited my post with an explanation.

Byatt

Sevendays, I was like you once upon a time (although I'm not sure I had a lot of empathy), didn't hoard (although I suppose I had other issues :eek:) and could get rid of things without a qualm. My ex almost divorced me on the spot when I decluttered the MOT certs he'd been saving for years...:cool: Wish he'd had in hindsight, because I was a darned sight younger then...:D:D

anyway, 7 years ago, he left me (not because of the MOT certs :rotfl:), and the trauma was so bad I had PTSD (diagnosed)...I am only now beginning to feel I am recovering.

I can however quite happily tidy other people's houses and get rid of stuff, because of course there is no emotional tie to it. At the moment I am struggling over a glass bowl, which has no sentimental value, but I keep thinking "what if" I need it for a trifle?! The last time I made a trifle was about 20 years ago!

moneysavingmumofone

SpikyHedgehog wrote: »

Now, unpacking the bags when we've been away is something I'm ok at. &i get all the washing done as quickly as I can, so it can sit all over my bed till I pile it on the floor next to the bed so I can get in...

Well, that's what I used to do - I am determined it shall be no longer!

Oh that sounds so familiar!

Byatt wrote: »

Morning, just been to the tip with my old oven and a few cardboard boxes and ink jet cartridges for recycling. Then after breakfast will take box to CS with around 25 kitchen items! They are not all big items, but still, 25!! :eek:

edit, Just got back from CS and because I deliberately parked in an "unloading only" zone, I couldn't actually hang about looking at stuff! CS was really grateful to get kitchen stuff too.

offloaded a hospital crutch that I had hanging about at the Dr's too.

now to start another box...

Wow youve done so well today. Take the glass bowl with you on your next trip, go oooon. (I kept a small cardboard box the other day that might be useful. )

idristhedragon wrote: »

Mornig fellow soon to be ex hoarders
Well I am furiously polishing my halo as I have done the le crueset cupboard (including cleaning it- SPIDERS!!) , done the bottom drawer (baking stuff) and the next drawer up (saucepans) AND I have a whole wheeled plastic tub of kitchen stuff for the CS!! So so proud of myself. I even had the drawer liners out and scrubbed the actual drawers. DH came in and found me in marigolds and an apron and thought Id been replaced by a proper wife! I am going to finish the kitchen this afternoon (broken slow cooker anyone?) and then do the ebay this afternoon/evening. Husband is out so as good a time as any. THis will also go towards paying off my evil credit card bill (why I arrived at MSE) in the first place but the spending, the hoarding, the comfort shopping, the noyt being comfy in own house/skin is ALL linked and I finally feel like Im slowly unravelling it! Ive been a parent for nearly 15 years and have ALWAYS had a baby at home my entire adult life (had my first at 21) and my last is starting pre school (half days) in Sept so I finally finally have the time to do the house/keepon top of it/feel able to breathe!! I work One mnorning and one evening and husband is happy for me to carry on with just these hours as the kids still need before and after school care, holidays, illness so it would be ludicrous for me to get a FT job and then pay childcare so thats a relief and has spurned on my desire to Have A Lovely House.
Right Im sat writing this on my 3 year olds little stool, hunched over a table that has my laptop on top of a half done jigsaw, and a Disney Princess magazine (torn) and next to an overflowing bin so I have a way to go yet LOL but I reckon with this thread I can do it.
I promise to only quickly *browse* the CS when Im dropping stuff off..............:p

I really do love it here, so nice to have people who sound so similar and not feel weird or different! Fab work today. x

loobylou2 wrote: »

Well its back to it for me again!!! Just wish I didn't have such a splitting headache. On a positive note though yesterday I ended up with ten bin bags full of old linen, clothes and books. I also contacted our local hospice and they are coming to collect tomorrow morning. I will do this, I will!!!!!!

Hope your headache eases soon, so hard to concentrate on tasks when you're in pain. xxx 10 bags is fantastic!

Well today I got rid of one black bag of clothes. Got nearly £2 for it so not very much lol but I tend to scrutinise too much when donating to charity shops and i know Id have gone through going oh but i might fit into this or DS looked so cute in this so just shoved it all in one bag...Plus I needed £2 to pay for a tray I bought on facebook. Its so pretty and will look lovely on my dressing table...someday. Not doing very well so far the past 2 days especially as I wanted it done by friday hmmm! I have a huge box of kitchen stuff on the table so will set myself the challenge of sorting that after Ive picked DS up from school and then will try to fill it with stuff to take to the charity shop tomorrow!

moneysavingmumofone

Calicocat-((hugs)) Well done on giving up smoking. xxx