Hoarding...not just on TV

soolin

katep23 wrote: »

:)Had an evening off last night but back to it tonight.

I'm thinking of tackling the bottom of the wardrobe. Or having a bath and a glass of wine. Nope definitely the wardrobe.

My, what an exciting and decadent life!

Loving the idea of tupperware as Kryptonite for Zombies

Oh and I was in Costco earlier and was sooo tempted by a 15 drawer thingy for putting paperwork in... then remembered you lot and thought I couldn't face admitting it :eek:

On the plus side, I finally have enough unbroken panels to build the Ottoman at the bottom of the bed (third time lucky!) Now, what to store in it...

No no, don't mention handy storage units. That's my other downfall, I can never resist useful boxes and units for putting things in...which just causes more problems.

I sorted out things for the cs today including three brand new shirts in their bags that I bought when my sons were in senior school and mislaid. My Boys are all over 20 years old now. However my OH suggested that I might be able to sell the shirts on facebook, so I was forced to leave them at home . Still managed to donate a good one and a half carrier bags full of things, mainly new with tags shoes and t shirts that I sneaked out past my OH

katep23

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I personally share the wealth and Freecycle them into the garden of the horrible teenager that climbs over and tramples everything going after his football in full view of his overindulgent parents. I'm generous like that, you see, what with the Olympic Spotted Racing Slug camp I seem to be running here already. But they aren't very good at the triple jump, whereas the snails positively fly over the wall [cough].

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Brilliant!

Any slugs or snails in my garden get chucked in for the ducks to nom. Eat my lettuce will you? Then I shall turn you into an egg, he he! (Although try not to think of that when I am eating the egg of course )

blossomhill_2

Hi guys

Can I reassue you that your Weapons of Zombie Destruction will be just like my hockey stick - stuck in a "cupboard-full-of-heaters-I-might-need-if-heating-breaks-down-behind-flat-pack-furniture-I-have-yet-to-assemble" when the zombies attack - so you need to freecycle or bin your WZD immediately

It went well with friends and tressle tables - I will never forget their pitying look when I held up a lamp and said "the trouble is things like this are so lovely but just don't go with my home" - lamp now gone and I never want to see that look again!

GreyQueen

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I personally share the wealth and Freecycle them into the garden of the horrible teenager that climbs over and tramples everything going after his football in full view of his overindulgent parents. I'm generous like that, you see, what with the Olympic Spotted Racing Slug camp I seem to be running here already. But they aren't very good at the triple jump, whereas the snails positively fly over the wall [cough].

I love your style, woman.

I have slugs of all hues but haven't got any spotted ones (and before you offer, I'm not dropping a hint that I'd like some of yours).

I have slugs of a disturbingly-fleshlike pinky-beige which look like severed fingers when at full stretch. There are charcoal grey ones, light grey ones, chocolate brown ones and humungous ginger ones which freak me out most of all.

Not sure if that's because I'm a redhead..........

However, they all respond to cold steel in identical ways, mwah ha ha!

ETA Byatt you're doing great, hun.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Meh. Ginger ones are cool. Especially the four inch long ones that frequented my mother's garden. They had an extra ginger bit around the vent bit on the back of the neck, as I remember.

Even the Olympic Spotted Racing variety are quite cool, in a sluggy sort of way. Although I do suspect they are Leopard slugs and are therefore likely to form an invading army when they realise there is cat food inside the house. Maybe the zombie hordes will slip up on them and be foiled in their attempts at world domination as they stagger up the front path?


But snails are way cooler, especially the stripey ones. That's why they are eligible for the Triple Jump/Powered Flight Programme, I don't actually want to annihilate them (and anything that birds can eat is good when it isn't actually eating my veggies at the time). The standard brown ones fly the best, though.

blossomhill_2

oldtractor wrote: »

I've listed several items on freegle and only got shut of one thing so far.

I'd take this as my proof that they are not worth trying to save, and bin them - may sound harsh but my hoarding (and that of many others) is based on the delusion of things having a hidden value - so any proof I could get of them not having a value (ie even if I offer them for free no-one can use them) I need to believe and act on
HTH

thriftwizard

Aaaaargh - I'm in need of some positive reinforcement here! I've spent all week getting rid of stuff, or trying to (3 items didn't sell, despite being rock-bottom price for what they are... and one was one I was really reluctant to part with; I have relisted it but am NOT dropping the price) and cleaning up where the mess was, and then last night 3 separate members of the family had a go at me about one thing or another, mostly mess-related, and today my get-up-&-go has just plain got up & gone!

I know I just need to grit my teeth & get on with it, and I'd be well-justified in pointing out that they're undermining the one person who's actually trying to do something about it, even if it is mostly my mess, but with DS3 leaving for Chile on Monday (it's so far away and such a long time!) I just want to curl up in a corner & sob! But that won't help in any way shape or form...

ETA - Blossomhill, don't know about OldTractor's stuff, but I know I've listed lots of stuff on Freecycle/Freegle (we have both here) lately and people have yelled "ME ME ME" and then don't turn up for it, time after time! Which is really annoying, especially when you had other people, possibly quite genuine, also interested. I'm keeping a little list now and don't offer it to them any more. I've had one proffer the same excuse twice in one week - "Sorry, the car wouldn't start..." - and I have taken some of it to the dump in the end. The other major annoyance is when you give measurements for something like, say, a big chest of drawers, and they turn up in a tiny car to pick it up...

blossomhill_2

HannahIOW wrote: »

I have lots at mums too... seems where ever I go, I leave a lot of things in my wake lol.

Hi Hannah, good luck in your efforts

This is a common trait of hoarders and we all need to take a good hard look at where else we are storing stuff - in my office I had 3 pedestal units full while colleagues had 1 each - leaving my job tooks months of shifting and planning, I should have been able to pack my briefcase and go - I also had endless mugs "just in case" I had a client meeting ... loads of stuff

One hoarder I know has spread to a stoarge unit, half a scout hut loft, a polytunnel, allotment shed, ex-girlfriends still storing stuff for him, a garage his current wife doesn't know he rents, his parents' loft ... and still can't get into his front door

thriftwizard - ((hugs)) I think you will find DS being away an incentive as you will want him to see such a difference when he gets back, so I am giving you permission to concentrate on him for now and declutter as a distraction once he is temporarily away (not gone!)

edit: and you will need to make room for all the Chielean souveniers he brings you LOL

alec_eiffel

I can't even imagine how frustrating it must be to be let down by people on freegle etc. You've made the huge decision to get rid of something then it has to hang around while you wait for someone to pick it up. That would have stressed me out no end.

That's why I didn't sell, freegle or carboot anything. When I made the decision something had to go it had to be out of the house there and then before I changed my mind. I just boxed everything up for the charity people to take, it was the only way I could deal with it. I salute you all who can be stronger than that and make some cash out of your stuff.

A weird thing has happened, since I started posting here I have had a couple of dreams about how the house used to be (I don't even live in that house anymore). I think maybe because I was dealing with the mental stuff (that caused the stashing in the first place)and the physical act of throwing things away I didn't deal with the throwing things away process if that makes sense. So I'm now reflecting on it and how dealing with the stuff made me feel, the impact it had on my homelife and relationship with DH. I don't know if it's sad or negative in any way it's just like I'm watching myself and seeing how things really were. DH keeps telling me not to worry about it because he's just glad we've worked through it and holds/held no negative feelings towards me about it, he just appreciates how good and easy everything is now.

I guess when you're in the middle of something it's hard to see how life can be any other way and it's only looking back you see how small your world is when it's bound up in the stuff. Bit of a Friday morning ramble there.

Hope everyone is feeling ok today. Thriftwizard, motivation comes from doing something, regardless of the negativity you've come up against you know you're making bit strides to get to where you want to go - don't turn the negativity in on yourself, allow it to help you towards action.

PipneyJane

lostinrates wrote: »

The old one is kaput. It has a hole under my side we call 'the bucket'.:o:o:o. I don't mind too much but because my health relates to brain/ spine nerve pathways dh wants to get a new one so i am in a better position. ( he would sleep on my side but it gives him back ache!)

How about shoving a piece of hardboard/plywood/MDF between the matress and the base as a temporary measure? Wouldn't that plug the hole? Get something the same size as the bed, to spread the load. It'd cost you less than £20 and mean you don't have to sleep in that horrid bed (which you could sell in the meantime and put the money towards a better bed for you both).