Hoarding...not just on TV

sjprmc01

Was wondering if anywhere there is lists for what 'normal' amounts of stuff should be? Ie. I'm sure I don't NEED 50 prs of socks (starting small).

Although I normally have as lazy a day as poss on a mon (as I work weekends) im sorting out my folding (undies and socks) so as to make a tiny bit of difference to my (clean) laundry piles in the kitchen

wannabe_sybil

PipneyJane wrote: »

Wouldn't that would fall into the realm of the Death of Rats? I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that some rodents eat slugs and snails, hence my logic. Admittedly, they'd have to be pretty desperate but isn't that why humans started eating snails in the first place? (I think it was the Romans.)

Who else, here, is a Discworlder?

Terry Pratchett is my hero! (see my sig lol)

I don't know, I think Death of Rats would have his hands full as he does gerbils and hamsters too. Death of slugs would be interesting - maybe in the shape of a salt shaker!

Approved Food order has just arrived (extremely restrained!) but I haven't unpacked it. Little bear has been sleeping. I am about to do a Lakeland order - wish me luck.

sjprmc01 - I don't know what 'normal' is, but I bet it is less than my haul I suppose enough socks to last for the maximum time between washes. I probably only need half a dozen pairs, and it would be a lot easier to manage as well.

wannabe_sybil

lostinrates - I am seriously envying your furniture. Also your achievement, but mainly your furniture.

idristhedragon

Hello- this will make you giggle- HannahIOW this thread has sent me doolally- I looked at your avatar and guess what? I thought it was SLUGS not lovely doughnuts PMSL!!
SJPRMC01 welcome- I have hoards of small people of vaguely similar ages to yours (see sig) so its nice to know someone else will be decluttering small hoarders too!

Jojo- a few pages back but my pond!!! Oooh my lovely pond! the one in my old house was massive- a good 6ft long and really mature- with a waterfall and loads of water lilys and on last count 27 fish. it attracted frogs, newts, dragon flies- I found it VERY relaxing and loved sitting by it, feeding the fish etc. We moved here 5 1/2 years ago and the garden is TINY- well enough room for table and chairs, washing line, play house. it was scabby though, so two years ago we had the entire thing decked so the kids can play out, bar one fenced off section for the dog to "go" and another bit we had grand plans to vegetable garden in. Well that was all overgrown until husbandio dug it all over on saturday and its a lot bigger than we thought (about a 1/4 width of decking- the pond area is 200cmx90cm)) so we toddled off to the garden centre yesterday and now have a pond liner, a rocky waterfall, a pump and 150 solar lights to go into the bushes above I had to fish husband in out of garden at 9.45 last night where he was digging cos I thought the neighbours might think he was burying me!! Husband is going to finish digging it in this week(tonight I guess as hes away Tues-Thurs) It is very exciting and has caused some decluttering of the garden so very in keeping with the thread

I STILL havent done the ebay *hangs head in shame* BUT I am planning a car boot on Saturday if I can persuade anyone else to join me and I am hoping to do the ebay while husband is away. It is really bothering me STILL sitting on the sofa in its underbed bag. In fact Im quite inspired to do it RIGHT NOW but have to go back to work in a couple of hours and am enjoying sitting if Im honest!

idristhedragon

Oh and I pride myself on my feminist tendencies BUT I broke my foot 2 years ago so cant dig!! Otherwise I'd do the damned pond myself HA HA

dumpy

delurking to say

What would you see for the death of slugs, as bones are somewhat....... missing :rotfl:

Maybe just mysterious slime trails from a short black robe.......

lostinrates

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

lostinrates - I am seriously envying your furniture. Also your achievement, but mainly your furniture.

Oh gosh, thank you richarding has furnished us well at least. We bought our first house two years ago and have bought very little, e.g. The disatrous ikea bed we hate we bought new, and a new cooker. I buy old stuff ...some of whoch is richard, but some i am sure won't be. That trunk was headiong from my family to the tip, the butlers tray messily crammed in behind is from my parents, and honestly, i don't like it much, its very 'clean' and we are more.......derelict, in our tastes. We have some broken stuff too.

Also, my dh's mother died a long time ago now, but a few years ago fil decided to sell the property and stuff very quickly. We had to look arou d the house with the shutters nailed up, so i was seeing furniture for the first time by the flash of a camera, and we loaded a small international removal van and brought what we could fit in it home. So between things like that, my parents divorcing and our combined richarding we do have some lovely things. . How good they look close up, and how sound they are might be questionable though.

blossomhill_2

sjprmc01 wrote: »

Hey there I everyone I feel the need to join this thread! I've read through every single post (time consuming/wasting) and feel a little like I know everyone!

Hi and welcome - 1st step made so it will get easier - you do know us, well our habits anyways

I think I am a hoarder. I try to convince myself it's 'just clothes' (mainly). I have suffered no major 'loss' in my life to explain my hoarding it's possibly just 'greed' (too much stuff coming in). I have 3 young dds (5,6 and 7). And I think I spoil them far too much, add to that their granny also buying them far too much and there a problem is created.

Is there any chance of asking for some cash instead of gifts for them to save up for a big item like a swing set instead of "here today, hoarded tomorrow" items? However, if their granny is anything like my MIL most of the gifts came from CS, and buying them was her social outlet (ie telling the CS lady all about her GD)

I think I need to Chang my way of thinking or I am going to end up consumed by this stuff. One of my issues I have is that unless stuff is washed, ironed, folded to perfection I WILL NOT put it away

As it sounds like you can dispose of stuff in a way, you are going to have to stop it at source - how about strict lists of "needs" based on what your DDs could actaully wear in a year and how much wear they should get out of each item - and get granny to support this

Yes you may (will) need to change your thinking - challenge yourself to come out of your comfort zone - if you have always done it that way you need to look at it differently - soemthing random like "hand-me-down-Fridays" so the girls only wear scruffies on Fridays, or "pink-free-Tuesdays" so the girls make use of some lesser worn clothes while favourites are in the wash

For starters I would immediately make sure that clothes shopping isn't done at the same time as grocery shopping - far too easy to throw a 5-pack of socks into the trolley at the supermarket, which then leads to a 3-pack of t-shirts or a pretty but not-needed dress

You are very, very lucky to have those girls and I sincerely hope that acting now will help you give them the carefree childhood and relaxed mummy that they deserve

(PS - I would think 3 children so close together did involve some sort of loss of your own free time/figure/aspirations, however much they were/are still wanted)

blossomhill_2

sjprmc01 wrote: »

Was wondering if anywhere there is lists for what 'normal' amounts of stuff should be? Ie. I'm sure I don't NEED 50 prs of socks (starting small)

I worked with a guy who had 5 shirts for the working week and two ties

• Mon, Tues, Weds; clean white shirt each day with teal & blue striped tie
• Thurs teal shirt to match teal & blue striped tie
• Fri blue shirt to match teal & blue striped tie

Wife washed the whites on Weds night
Wife washed the coloured shirts on a Monday with the weekend sports shirts

Spare tie handy in case of spills

THAT'S organised - can you see us hoarders being like that? If you could work out your own clothes like that you wouldn't need a list of what's normal. With DDs you would need to factor in spills, growth spurts and leaving clothes at school by mistake :rotfl:

sjprmc01

Well I've chucked (in the cash-for-clothes-pile) about 20-odd pairs of no longer remotely white socks and I now feel like indeed to run out and replace them!

I'm ok with the too-small-stuff as I realise I will never need it again so apart from the odd really loved item as long as I know it's going to a good home I'm cool with that. Most of it is like (or) new. I realise the buying needs to stop but it's like....oh, one more thing won't hurt.....and then I spend the day washing and ironing instead of playing with the girls .

My clothes are in so much of a mess that I don't really know what I do and dont have so just buy more (tops) instead of sorting it out.

Unfortunately granny is not to be reasoned with. She buys (new from shops in the sale) well in advance and doesn't even check if it's needed or tell us what she has bought ( was about to buy the girls school shoes the other day with the 50% brantano code till OH enlightens me to the fact she has them school shoes in). I think she thinks we live in a mansion (3 bed council house!).