Hoarding...not just on TV

VJsmum

Today I have thrown / recycled

A pack of electronic batteries from the pound shop that I thought "would come in useful"; a very cheap electric carving knife that doesn't work and I never use; some magazines from a professional body I gave up my membership to several years ago which are out of date and which i could access at work anyway.

pencil cases and candle making kit still there.

Baby steps

GreyQueen

smileyt wrote: »

Re men - the best way to declutter them is not to have any to begin with :rotfl:.

Too right and I have come around to this way of thinking myself.

Howsomever I am still occasionally surprised when men who apparently not actually certifiable ask me out. I have come to the conclusion that all the good women are spoken-for, all the bad women are charging and the fact that I have all my own teeth is a mark in my favour.

Most excellent de-cluttering btw.

My own progess is down to little bibs and bobs because a lot of big stuff has already gone. I will be venturing into the clothes drawers (5 drawers and a 3 foot wide rail) to see if there is some stuff which could go hang out at Oxfam and do someone else a turn.

Otherwise, a lot of stuff is just being used up and leaving through natural causes. If only I could motivate myself to finish painting the ceilings and get rid of the paint cans I'd empty by doing so. Mebbe this autumn when the lottie needs me less.

whitewing

I'm sure there are at least two of you on here with a candle making kit. Can you have a joint challenge to use or let go?

KAT44_2

Just finished reading the entire thread and would like to say that you ladies are inspirational, so much so that I have been dragged out of my lurkers comfort zone to register and post, which I would have done much sooner but the perfectionism part of me wouldn't let me until I'd read every post (I have problems I know).
Thanks to the OP for starting this thread it's made me look around and evaluate the things around me in a new light and although I do try to declutter the deliberation over every item that leaves and the stress of trying to create the perfect ebay listing should I decide to sell it means it takes me forever.
All that just to ask could I please join you, might give me the inspiration I need to speed up before the bedroom ceiling collapses on me in my sleep due to the overloaded loft.:)

Byatt

Hiya Kat and welcome!

there are so many aspects to our hoarding and "clutter out of control", and perfectionism is one of the many facets. I'm still finding things out about myself and trying to get to grips with moving things on. I have for instance struggled all day in regard to a fruit bowl. It's been lurking behind me on the floor so I've not even seen it for ages and yet I still struggle with the actual parting of it. Currently it's in front of me on the floor and I have been having arguments with myself all evening on whether to keep or give away. It doesn't even have any sentimental value, but it's pretty, and part of my aspirational self, although not sure why it is...

The only way I can eventually part with things is to think I need a place for everything and if there's no place it goes. Seems simple written down like that, but of course we know it isn't.

KAT44_2

Thanks for the welcome .
That's been a massive part of my problem a huge loft so everything has had a place . I was good at decluttering when the discarded items where going in the loft (i.e not really leaving) problem is it's now overflowing.
I love it if someone visits and expresses a need for a certain item, if there's one in the loft I'm up them loft ladders quicker than a squirrel up a tree, happy to see said item go to it's new home. It's finding the perfect home for everything that's the problem, maybe I need to get a talking bin that asks me for a different item daily.:)

blossomhill_2

KAT44 wrote: »

I love it if someone visits and expresses a need for a certain item, if there's one in the loft I'm up them loft ladders quicker than a squirrel up a tree, happy to see said item go to it's new home. It's finding the perfect home for everything that's the problem, maybe I need to get a talking bin that asks me for a different item daily.:)

I've got one of those bins, it's called the
"freecycle WANTED ads" and I look out for people asking for things that I have and I give them to them

Welcome along KAT44, glad you have joined us

I used to have to find the perfect rehome for things, now if I think they need to go and I won't be able to find a home I dismantle them and throw them out piece by piece. Like the bamboo dressers folk are mentioning - I took mine apart and hoarded all the individual canes, 1000s of them, but have ditched them too now

Is LIR lost in action?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I'll send out a search party for her, Blossom.


I have rheumatology tomorrow morning. And conveniently enough, I have two swollen lumps where my hands ordinarily are.

I think that I'm going to start methotrexate. :eek:

But, on one of the few occasions that buying useless yet pretty stuff might pay off, I have a bag full of various scarves that I can use when/if my hair is affected.

Was goign to do some more decorating today. No energy, though, just had enough for practicing guitar - swollen hands or not, it really is a casr of use it or lose it, so I have to practice something, whether it's bass, guitar or uke - and after the gig this weekend, my hands are completely mashed from the bass and uke, so have to make do with my weakest instrument.

Ah well - I have discovered Smooth Radio 70s on digital today. It makes a change from the crud on commerical radio. And it has good basslines to listen to (and copy).




Byatt, so how useful is the fruit bowl? Does it hold healthy, bright and happy fruit for all to enjoy, or would it accumulate loose change, loyalty cards, broken pencils, bits of sharpenings or mouldering blobs of kiwi fruit after about a week with a cloud of very small and extremely annoying flies clustering round it?


Visualise how it would actually be used, not how it should be, and that might make it less of a wrench for you.

greenbee

GreyQueen wrote: »

I had a warm and fuzzy moment when I had the second letter this year from the charity where I'm registered for Gift Aid and my odds and s0ds have now raised nearly £100! Considering it was all pretty regular and low value stuff, that's very pleasing and I feel all happy. I have another donation bag ready to roll and will get that to them in the next few days.

I was quite shocked when my statement arrived, and I know I've taken a lot more since. Decluttering, donating AND depriving the taxman is a major achievement!

short_bird

Free listing for a whole 9 days. I did start to speculate why, thought it might be something to do with students getting ready to go to college and children back at school.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4150255