Hoarding...not just on TV

alec_eiffel

After everything I said the other day I bought something from a charity shop yesterday. First time I've paid full price in one for 10 years. Man alive they're dear aren't they?

Ditch the spices.

ellie99

Hi everyone, I just found this thread yesterday, so have been reading through - managed November so far!
I come from a whole family of hoarders, taught to never get rid of anything if it still has some use left in it - get my money's worth from it! The last 18 months I've been trying to get rid of stuff...I'm not a hoarder like those poor people on TV, but there's too much stuff in my house, and I always think it's messy if anyone visits. I'd love for every room to look "just right" at the same time.
A big reason for me to cut down my belongings is how I feel about my 80 year old aunt. She lives alone in a 2 bedroom UPSTAIRS flat, and she has it full of stuff. When the council moved her out temporarily to do renovations every other house in the street needed one removal lorry, and hers needed two! That was 20 years ago, it was all moved back in again, and to this day, some of the boxes have not been unpacked...but she's not parting with them. I think it originated from living through the wartime years, and not wanting to waste anything. I can't even make myself go and visit any more, because the "weight" of the clutter makes me feel awful. I'm not particularly fit (I have back problems) but I'm the fittest in the family, and I know that when she finally goes, it will be up to me to clear the flat...I'm absolutely dreading it. To be honest, I'm a bit angry about it - my mother has asked her who does she think will get rid of everything, but she doesn't answer. I DO NOT want that responsibility, but I'm getting it anyway. So...although I'm only 52, I've been clearing things out of my own house, because I don't want my children to be left with a lot of my stuff to go through. It's not easy, especially the feeling that I should try to sell rather than donate (I do about 50/50)...but I'm going to keep plodding away

whitewing

Welcome Ellie. Lovely to see you here.

Don't worry about your aunt's stuff. Just try to enjoy her, and we will support you when the time comes (and if that means just getting a man with a van, and chucking it all out without looking through it, that will be absolutely fine).

aeb_2

Good evening, It's a long time since I posted but I do read. I'm pleased with myself today because I sold a huge 1980's dining table, not on eby but but local advert. It was in beautiful condition but too big for where I needed it in this house. Mum asked me if I would be able to get another before Christmas until I pointed out I had another three tables to choose from. I'm thinking for now I can use an old G Plan drop leaf that the charity shop refused:o

I've worked really hard to de-clutter everything that is going into one room. It is completely full with box upon box (part mine, part mums, part MIL's) - and then on Friday night there was a leak in the bay window roof, straight through causing a huge bubble in the ceiling paper and shifting the lath and plaster ceiling, fusing the lights and making a meter round puddle on the floor. I was lucky in a way as it dripped into where the waste bin sits so didn't damage 'stuff'. The bin is straw so unluckily didn't hold the water.
Anyway now I to decide if I can face claiming as it will take for ever to empty the room for redecoration and I don't think I can ever find the carpet. The dehumidifier is working overtime so it doesn't start to smell.

I vote to dump the dill - even fresh dill smells 'musty' to me and I generally like herbs. Keep the rosemary bush - cuttings can be taken very easily if the bush has got 'woody'

lostinrates

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Yes, it's the Inglenook Pet Act 1862. It fell out of use in the latter stages of the 20th Century due to Central Heating beoming much more popular/common but was used in a legal case (Smith vs Kendal 2007) which set a new precedent in that the dog must be gangly but you could have any sort of dog if you also had a cat.
As a result of this case, the Government then added an additional clause to include woodburners.

:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

Love this!

lostinrates

Just reading what I have missed, so apologies if in skimming I miss anything important.

Grey queen, re bone china mugs.

Almost Every morning I have my first hot drink from a none china brambly hedge mug. (I guess I had this set when I was small and this is all that is left, I dunno) It's small enough for me to gulp a drink done before heading out to do critters in the morning. Drinking out of a 'nice' mug sets one up for the day. I love a cup and saucer and this is the ideal comprimise between niceness and less washing up. . She should use her mugs.

Byatt

Hiya Ellie, what would happen if you said to your aunt, everything will go into landfill if you have to deal with it? I must admit I can handle other people's stuff much better than my own.

Aeb, I'm surprised the CS turned down the G-plan as it's very "in" right now. Fortunately my local CS take everything I haul in. I saw my fishtank for sale for £30 but they had added a few accessories along with a couple of accessories I had given. Are you saying all your decluttered stuff is in one room now? Can I ask why? I'm sorry about the leak, that's awful, what a mess.

LIR, it is brilliant isn't it!

katep23

VJsmum wrote: »

Thanks, i'll do it when I get home. Oh and the rosemary in the garden can stay - it's the yukky dried stuff that can go.

I am deRicharding from Korea - took a load of magazines with me and some nearly empty toiletries and am gradually working my way through them. I have also brought the world's ugliest pyjamas of which the trousers constantly fall down. I could take them home and mend elastic and still have world's ugliest pyjamas or I could forget to pack them.

Forget to pack them

Small confession - have done an AF order . In my defense it is things we will use such as fajita kits and casserole mixes - I have told OH (almost) everything I have ordered :rotfl:

Also got some crisps and sweetie things for Christmas Eve which we are hosting at our house and to which we seem to have invited the entire farming community - it's going to be expensive and a lot of work so anything I can do now will ease the pain nearer the time (assuming they make it that long!)

I even resisted the packs of bread mix - I have about 15 bags each of white, wholemeal and malthouse flour so really don't need any more even though it was a bargain - go me! (Boy was it hard not to put it in the basket though :rotfl:)

ellie99

Byatt wrote: »

Hiya Ellie, what would happen if you said to your aunt, everything will go into landfill if you have to deal with it? I must admit I can handle other people's stuff much better than my own

Hi Byatt, I haven't said it will all go to landfill, but my mother's told her I won't keep anything, and I won't go through it to find the "good stuff". It didn't make any difference, she still wants to keep it all. She has 3 large wardrobes, and wears what hangs on the outside. She has 2 double bedrooms, but only room for one single bed, it worries me that if anyone needed to stay with her, there's nowhere to sleep.
It would be hard to send all her stuff to landfill, and thinking about it, although I'm the one who will have to physically get rid of it, my mother will be the one who inherits, so I'll have to do what she wants...and I'm pretty sure she'll want it sold, it's a family thing! Thanks for letting me moan, I obviously can't moan like this to my aunt!

ellie99

whitewing wrote: »

Welcome Ellie. Lovely to see you here.

Don't worry about your aunt's stuff. Just try to enjoy her, and we will support you when the time comes (and if that means just getting a man with a van, and chucking it all out without looking through it, that will be absolutely fine).

Thanks whitewing, I think it will have to be a man with a lot of vans