Hoarding...not just on TV

Brighton_belle

Re sentimental clutter that you keep because others have given it to you: great words blossom re it is not their love, just a symbol. And I also agree re keeping such things as the dairy Aliasjo mentioned. Just don't keep the stuff you don't like or never use.
I am actively working on getting rid of anything my mum and dad have given me that isn't my taste or of no use to me, while they are still alive,as they might not be around much longer and I know I will feel unable to get rid for a long time after they are gone. I have plenty of things connected to them I love and cherish and use day by day. I now don't accept being passed on things from them (or anyone else) if I don't like it or have a good use for it so this stops any further anxiety/guilt.

As with all declutering - get rid of the easy stuff first. As you feel the relief and benefits of creating more space and making your life simpler, you will get the energy and strength to get rid of the slightly trickier stuff. Decluttering energy slowly snow balls, when you find you not only survive getting rid of stuff, that it ultimately makes you feel good.

Aliasjo:there is no point in keeping brand new unopened sim cards if they have a sign on the back that says' activate by May 2010
They really will not work now (you did ask )

GreyQueen wrote: »

. I saved the ice-scraper from the Beko ... I don't need an icescraper any more.

But it's a perfectly good icescraper. Someone else might be looking for just such a thing. Should I add it to the charity shop bag, do you think?

Add it to the charity box. You don't need another scraper. If you needed another scraper, you would have got one before know for what ever job you needed it for.You probably have a scraping tool somewhere already. If you find you are desparate for a scraper one day, ask for one on freecycle.:D

Really impressed with how folks are getting down to it on here.
A litte bit each day really does add up.
I find being able to recycle helps me feel better about getttng rid of something. But totally agree that you must just get it out of the house asap and sometimes that must mean forget the recycle hassle or,I personally don't bother with ebaying stuff as I find the thought of doing it really stressful and then stuff just piles up and doesn't leave the house. So I take it straight to the charity shop and see it as a great wake to make donations to good causes.

Wannabesybyl - getting extra meter visits would be funny if it wasn't so appalling. I suggest you write and get yourself removed from this list and explain why.

Byatt

Amazing what you find when decluttering, just found some hooks I put away and forgot about, but had been planning to get more as I wanted hooks for my mugs! Also got rid of an ice cream box of electrician's stuff, he left them 2 years ago when doing work here and I always meant to contact him or thought I might see him again...anyway, nothing useful for me so off to the tip.

Feeling tired, stressed and generally off...this is so exhausting.


edit, MMLS, I'm the same with food, the thing is I know it's trying to fill the empty space inside all this decluttering is making, but it doesn't stop me from trying to fill it with food although I'm not hungry, it's that awful niggling away feeling you get and think, oh food, that will help. But it doesn't.

Sybil, I agree with BrightonBelle, and think you should contactthe company expressing your annoyance.

Possession, my mum was the same, about wrapping paper, as kids we learned to unwrap very carefully....:(

And I also agree with you, Blossom is not hogging the forum and her posts have been very helpful, so Blossom, post away...please.

lostinrates

No dericharding today. I am bracing myself for the utility room on saturday......and hoping to get the kitchen started then too.

GreyQueen

blossomhill wrote: »

Well I have been offline for a bit as the council men were coming to collect some defunct matresses.

When they saw the stuff I had cluttering up the garden waiting to go to the dump they offered to take it all ... I let them, but they stood there and said "we can take anything as we are here anyway" in a pointed way - so I bit the bullet and gave them loads of stuff, useless stuff that I thought I would reuse. They were so kind I went indoors afterwards and had a little cry.

And the patio is so clear now I can clean it and the dog can roll around on it and I can just ...enjoy it ... instead of making endless trips to the tip

Thank you for your kind comments above - I haven't always seen it all clearly, the programmes helped, as did the books, as did just getting on with it, I still have a way to go but am getting there

:A Aww, Blossomhill, how lovely they were. That's karma paying you back for your kindness sharing your wisdom on this thread, unless I am very much mistaken.:A

Brighton belle, you are right. I do have 2 metal scrapers, one broad and one narrow, and a snapped-off knifeblade which gets into those awkward little spaces. I have uPVC windows so I won't need to scrape them. It's now in the charity-shop-bag. Thanks for helping me not swither. Swithering is dithering but in Scotland. Great word, isn't it?

Mum told me something shocking the other day; she is now able to throw margarine tubs away. Unwashed. (The recycling won't accept them) so before they were washed up and kept in the crockery cupboard where they became a PITA until there was a periodic clear out. It's a quantum leap forward for a clutter-bunny like Mum and I was very proud.

I shall recycle the old fridge's instruction manual once I've had my quarterly electricity bill as I want to do an energy comparison. It will be the work of seconds as I know exactly where it is (in the Destruction and Warranty Folder).

It's all good.

thriftwizard

I've had to have a few days off from my mammoth task, as a family emergency intervened, meaning I had to do an awful lot of organising at short notice & could mean I have to whisk off to Spain at a moment's notice, sadly not for a good reason; my FiL is terminally ill out there But today a friend, DD1 & I tackled one of the three Ghastly Piles in the conservatory; this was long-term mess, not recently imported mess. There were mouse droppings underneath it... :eek:

When I say long-term, it's been a year since I last saw the top of my desk. Admittedly I have been stupidly busy for that year, and the desk is not in a good place for a desk, and has been scheduled (for ages) to be moved to somewhere where it won't be a clutter-magnet, but simply couldn't have been until the pile of clutter had gone! We got more than half way through; two trips to the tip, plus one to the recycling centre later I am feeling that I might be able to tackle either the rest of it, or Ghastly Pile number 2 tomorrow. Or possibly even this evening; whilst I'm well aware of the danger of burnout, Him Indoors (OH) has had to go out to Spain to support my step-MiL (they don't have hospices or palliative care where they are) and I can't think of anything that would cheer him up more when he gets home than to find the Ghastly Mess gone - well, my bit of it, anyway! So I shall leave the 30-odd boxes of football programmes in our bedroom well alone...

lostinrates

Videos.. A fellow mse er took some suitable for kids from here, others go to the tip. Sad but true.

I really do not want to not recycle.

blossomhill_2

Anyone fancy a game of “Downfall”? 5 questions about your hoarding, just for fun/insight

· Downfall - What is your hoarding downfall?

· Easy-What don’t you have trouble throwing out?

· Eccentric-What part of your hoard would make you sound eccentric to other people?

· Trigger-What do you think triggered your hoarding?

· Help-What helps?

I’ll start;

· Downfall-seed packets, can’t get enough of the things! And ways to store them ...

· Easy-Newspapers/used envelopes

· Eccentric–1) Making greenhouses out of divan bases. 2) I have every payslip going back toage 16

· Trigger-Family trait/ lack of disposable income/money for essentials/loss of relatives/lost free-time while a carer/regrets about loss of UK manufacturing industry (yes really!)

· Help-Seeing a trend in others and not wanting it to escalate so my children have todeal with my clutter when I am gone or incapable

Your turn;

blossomhill_2

thriftwizard
Well done for tackling the GP, esp when things are going badly familywise, it must be a tough time for you all

RuthG

· Downfall - Books

· Easy- junk mail

· Eccentric-elasticbands

· Trigger- not having friends

· Help-Not much!

Possession

Byatt wrote: »

Possession, my mum was the same, about wrapping paper, as kids we learned to unwrap very carefully....:(

I now take great delight in ripping paper! She has come to my parents for Christmas every year since my Grandad died (over 20 years now) and she saves her own paper but after a few years stopped hassling everyone else to do it. (I don't mean anyone deliberately ruined paper, if there was a big reusable piece we'd save it too but she used to save every scrap and get annoyed if it tore when you opened it.) My mum is extremely tidy and clean and I'm pretty sure it's a direct result of growing up with my grandma who always had more important things to do, like a painting or a bark rubbing! I on the other hand aspire to be like my mum but am probably more like my grandma. ) :