Hoarding...not just on TV

falady

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

You feel the same emotions, but

you are capable of finding clean clothes,
a pair of socks,
of sitting down on any chair,
of going to bed without having to take your life in your hands going upstairs,
of inviting someone round who wants to see you and could make you feel less lonely without concern for their opinion or personal safety,
you have more money as you aren't spending it on 'stuff' to fill the hole in your heart.

You aren't harbouring mould spores,
dust mites
and various other nasties that can sap your strength and make you or your loved ones unwell.

You have space to think,
to adjust,
acknowledge,
adapt to the uncomfortable feelings,
as you aren't hemmed in by distractions such as a pile of things over there that are threatening to fall over.


You can find different things to do that can give you pleasure - having a lovely colour on the walls,
finding a beautiful picture, having it framed and putting it on your wall where you can see and appreciate it properly,
going out and starting other activities,
inviting friends round without worrying,
not stressing about the gas man,




It doesn't solve everything. But it makes the day to day so much better, easier, smoother. Which gives you time and space to deal with the harder stuff.

Byatt and JoJo, your posts speak to my heart. I have been lurking on this thread for a little while but reading the last few pages and your posts quoted above had made me post.

Thank you. You have given me insight.

KAT44_2

Hi Falady and welcome, I also love that post by Jojo I think she should have it made into a poster. I would buy it (but only after I had disposed of at least 2 other items )

I did go back and buy the sieve and the dog lead today and ended up buying new plates as well . I still havn't got rid of the old sieve and dog lead but did manage to part with
1 Teapot
13 plates
1 electric can opener
cracked veg tray from fridge/freezer I havn't owned for 7 years
Ice lollie molds, plastic egg trays (from same fridge/freezer) 8 frog jelly molds, shrek chocolate mold (all these where stored in the above cracked veg tray)
A cheese grater (I still have 3 )
A carrier bag full of plastic bowls, tubs etc
and the dilema of the day a twenty year old pressure cooker that I can't get gaskets or parts for anymore, but was still in the cupboard even though the new one that dh bought me 3 weeks ago was sat on the worktop because I didn't have room for it.

Why do I keep this stuff, I'm quite sure I'm not going to have the urge for a frog shaped jelly anytime soon and chocolate dosn't last long enough in this house to be melted down and reformed into Shrek or Donkey It all seems such silly and valueless stuff now that I've listed it, but I have dithered over every item today, especially the pressure cooker which is still stressing me out as it would have made a good sturdy pan, which I don't need arghhhhhhhhh.

Well wether this gets easier or not I'm on the right path now and I'm not turning back, just wish the path was a little bit shorter and not littered with so much[STRIKE]potentially useful[/STRIKE] stuff.

valk_scot

I had four pressure cookers at one point. ATM I only have two which you might think is better but I've not used either for...six or seven years? Yes, thinking about it I could easily manage with just one....:rotfl:

KAT44_2

hahaha damn them pressure cookers they just don't want to leave :rotfl:After I'd turned it into a normal pan, a flower planter, a bowl for soaking washing in, etc etc dh took it off me and locked it in his van :rotfl:and I have been told in no uncertain terms that it will NOT be returning.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Evening all!

Been out playing tonight - so just popping my head around to say hello and to mention that I've amended the opening post on the thread. Let me know if it's alright, as I felt it needed to say something to the tentative new poster.



Must dash, the cats are arguing over who gets to eat the unfortunate moth that has blundered in here. They haven't learned yet, I am the Moth Catcher in this house and every fluttering insect is mine, so I can Catch and Release - straight back outside.

[dashes off after mogs]

Brighton_belle

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

to mention that I've amended the opening post on the thread. Let me know if it's alright, as I felt it needed to say something to the tentative new poster.

Excellent Jojo. Truely excellent.

KAT44 - I totally get where you are coming from.
I still haven't got the 'unused for 10 years, self bought plastic pegs' out of the house:o. It is absolutely ridiculous.
I did manage to get an unused electric can open out though - gave it to a family member who really needs one, as theirs broke. So that felt easy.

valk_scot

I have started a dedicated box in the attic for DS. He's 16 and the hope is that three years from now he'll be off to Uni, with all that this implies when it comes to bedding, cookware etc. Now you may think this is counter-productive in terms of hoarding but in fact there's a lot of things I come across and think "I don't need that" but keep anyway for DS at uni. However this also means that there's undoubtably duplicates of things and also things that he won't want so I'm going to start storing them in a specific box. Hopefully that will mean more things can go out once the box starts overflowing! And at the very least they'll all be in one place when we need them.

There's our old microwave (very cheap one I bought when we were waiting for the kitchen to be redone), a full set of Jamie Oliver pans I bought in a 95% off glitch at Tesco, two Pyrex casserole dishes, a pasta/stock pot and the knife block and knives that came out my late SILs house. Also the mostly complete set of cutlery I took out the kitchen drawers when I cleared them out a few weeks ago. That's all valid stuff to keep, isn't it? I didn't keep any of the duvets and bedding I've been clearing out, I'd rather buy him new stuff rather than send him off to Uni with a Power Rangers duvet cover, lol. But thinking about it he won't need much more than that apart from some plates/bowls/mugs, kitchen utensils and a kettle, will he? So..um, why am I thinking I'll need to keep him all these other odd things, like old teatowels? Old wooden spoons? Old THINGS?

It's just an excuse to not throw things out, isn't it? I wonder how many more I have? "Use it for crafts" or "A friend might need one" or "Useful to have a spare" or whatever? My mum, who was a total minimalist when it came to things in actual rooms had cupboards of things "As a reserve", as she would say. I think that's why I had seventeen elderly duivets up in the attic, in case there was a world shortage of duvets and then I'd have plenty in reserve, lol.

This dericharding thing is as much about decluttering our minds as our houses, isn't it?

whitewing

For the third night in a row, I am having bad dreams. This time I dreamt I was back at Uni (the age I am now) doing my degree as I hadn't completed it (I did). I had left DH, DS and DD at home and moved 200 miles away to study and was missing them like mad. Then I missed a science lecture because I popped to the loo just before it, but every toilet I found was being renovated. By the time I'd found one I didn't want to walk into the lecture theatre 20 mins late but I had to hang around as my pens and notepads were in the theatre. Then I was panicking and thinking, why am I doing science? An English degree would be better. Then our i phones were bleeping as one of the professors on campus had shot 5 members of his family and was now roaming round campus being looked for by the police.

This is not making for restful nights.

I like the new OP, Jo. I am glad you didn't delete the original text, but I like the extras.

It strikes me as I read the thread, what a shame we aren't geographically close enough to have a 'declutter bring and share'. We would have to arrive armed with a list each of things we actually need, and this could be monitored on the way out by the Declutter Police. I would happily have BB's plastic pegs! And some tea towels, which are next on my hit list.

lostinrates

Like the op. .


So, because dh and i did not get to the overhaul of the wardrob, i decided i would start alone.

I have pulled off everything i definitly will not wear before christmas. I have kept out two evening wear things i might wear, and two aspriational dietiper pieces of clothing, however, these are now on a picture hook, not on the handing rail.

Only problem is, i should have got him to get me a suitcase out. To store stuff in.


Oh, added three dresses to the 'out' pile. ( Edit and now two wooly hats)

Feel inspired to open the cupboard in the spare room too......dare i? We will have a huge heap pf clothes to pack next friday. (i am keeping these not dericharding, but i am content that this is the right thing for me to do. Some goes out at each turn, thats enough for me atm)

thriftwizard

valk_scot wrote: »

I have started a dedicated box in the attic for DS. He's 16 and the hope is that three years from now he'll be off to Uni, with all that this implies when it comes to bedding, cookware etc. Now you may think this is counter-productive in terms of hoarding but in fact there's a lot of things I come across and think "I don't need that" but keep anyway for DS at uni. However this also means that there's undoubtably duplicates of things and also things that he won't want so I'm going to start storing them in a specific box. Hopefully that will mean more things can go out once the box starts overflowing! And at the very least they'll all be in one place when we need them.

...That's all valid stuff to keep, isn't it? But thinking about it he won't need much more than that apart from some plates/bowls/mugs, kitchen utensils and a kettle, will he? So..um, why am I thinking I'll need to keep him all these other odd things, like old teatowels? Old wooden spoons? Old THINGS?...

It's just an excuse to not throw things out, isn't it? I wonder how many more I have? "Use it for crafts" or "A friend might need one" or "Useful to have a spare" or whatever? My mum, who was a total minimalist when it came to things in actual rooms had cupboards of things "As a reserve", as she would say. I think that's why I had seventeen elderly duivets up in the attic, in case there was a world shortage of duvets and then I'd have plenty in reserve, lol.

This dericharding thing is as much about decluttering our minds as our houses, isn't it?

Agreed! But I have some shelves full of THINGS in the porch, kept for kids going off to uni etc., that really has been worth its weight in gold - two friends have left their spouses abruptly, literally walked away with nothing except a suitcase, and I've been able to help them set up home with stuff just to tide them over until they're on their feet again. But I need to keep it to just one or two shelves; it's in danger of overflowing again at the moment. And needless to say, whilst the two boys who've left for uni so far did take one or two things each when they left, they didn't really make much of a dent in it!

I did a big show at the weekend which, although profitable in a minor way, didn't go as well as I'd hoped - people really are hanging onto their money at the moment, and who can blame them? - and my heart sank when I came to stuff all the "stock" back into my shed. There's still WAAAYYYYY too much! I need to empty it out, work out what's worthwhile, and Ebay the rest, even if I have to do it as a job lot.

Off to read the new intro now...