Hoarding...not just on TV

lostinrates

Decks gecko,

I call it dericharding, because when we saw the programme about the very nice guy Richard (surname) hoarder of I think it's westcott, near dorking in Surrey, I said to dh...that's whats happening to us, we are becoming Richard.

Every time he tried to hang on to something I say 'meh, it's Richard' and I ask him 'is this Richard' about almost empty lipsticks etc.

I liked the guy, I just don't want to live like that.

decogecko

Thanks LIR & GQ for the richard explaination.

I thought it was just me that couldn't make a snap decision about getting rid of something. I have considered it a major failing (one of my many!) my Dad moans every time it comes round that there's too much stuff lying around but I'm sure that when I've sorted and cleared the stuff he'll moan about something else.

katep23

Gah, AF have sent me a £5 voucher and I really want to spend it - even though larder is full :eek: Must resist :A

Larder of doom...

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/katep23/Larder1.jpg

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/katep23/Larder3.jpg

babyshoes

I think I have finally figured out part of the reason for my hoarding. The idea of it being a pile of delayed decisions really rings true with me, so thank you GQ and the others who discussed it earlier.

I have been following this thread with quite a few people saying they are perfectionists who can't stand to do a half-@rsed job so don't do it at all, and thinking when I read those type of posts that I am definitely a 'good enough' person so that couldn't be the reason I tend to hoard - wonder if it may be OH's though? We both have definite hoarding tendencies, and that doesn't help any efforts we might make to get rid of stuff if it belongs to the other, as it may not be junk in their eyes! I got into trouble recently for trying to chuck out some small wood offcuts, which are apparently useful when doing woodwork - which has happened precisely twice in the 8-odd years we've been in this flat - we just don't have the space to do it properly, as evidenced by the fact that one of those times my OH ended up removing a small piece of her foot with a chisel as she was trying to chisel wood on the carpet in the lounge... For the record, lots of cold water soon afterwards and lots of mopping with tissue can get blood stains out of a pink carpet.

There is also the issue with sorting through things that need tidying up/putting away - if it is all mixed up I can't just chuck it out, I have to not only sort through it but make decisions about what to do with each item, and decisions are not something I've ever been good at. I still don't really know what I want to do when I grow up - I'm in my 30's for goodness sake!

That said, we have both made some slow process since I started lurking on here with the very occasional comment, OH won't read the thread but I'm trying to lead by example, and also decluttering by stealth, one jam jar in the recycling at a time! We recently got rid of a large bag of clothes, and a while ago I got rid of most of the monstrous pile of carrier bags which I'd been dreading sorting out as many of them had turned into plastic confetti all over the carpet! Took me a good couple of hours, but the feeling of satisfaction was worth it. Baby steps at the moment, I don't think we will ever have a minimalistic, super tidy house but hopefully one day we will have one I feel I can invite friends round to spontaneously, and won't have to apologise about the clutter even when I've tidied up!

katep23

babyshoes wrote: »

I still don't really know what I want to do when I grow up - I'm in my 30's for goodness sake!

Me too

OH has just agreed I can chuck the inner tube from a roll of wrapping paper (silver you will be glad to hear GQ, for that very reason. Ahem, I have about 4 however) as "it's just clutter".

Good news indeed as I have not been allowed to throw the inners of the cling film / tin foil as he needs them for a project.

lostinrates

katep23 wrote: »

Me too

OH has just agreed I can chuck the inner tube from a roll of wrapping paper (silver you will be glad to hear GQ, for that very reason. Ahem, I have about 4 however) as "it's just clutter".

Good news indeed as I have not been allowed to throw the inners of the cling film / tin foil as he needs them for a project.

That made me snigger because I thought ' that's clearly Richard' but then I realised that not everybody has a few buckets of the wheels from every shellfish meal they have eaten in the last four years or so because their OH wants to build a shell lined grotto one day in the future:o:D

lostinrates

Just checking that no one near me is dericharding any ladies wellies in small sizes? I have just found out my sil and her bloke are visiting over Christmas and I think we will all enjoy the day more if dh and they take the dogs out for a long walk, but she has nothing waterproof, let alone mud proof. Do I dare CS shop for appropriate gear?

katep23

lostinrates wrote: »

That made me snigger because I thought ' that's clearly Richard' but then I realised that not everybody has a few buckets of the wheels from every shellfish meal they have eaten in the last four years or so because their OH wants to build a shell lined grotto one day in the future:o:D

:rotfl::rotfl: One man's Richard is another man's project!

blossomhill_2

Lots to think about in last nigt's posts! Random thoughts follow ... (without quotes)

Although we understand each other almost perfectly, if we saw each others' hoards it would become evident that we only understand "in principle" - we would still leave the house thinking "I know he/she's a hoarder but wouldn't they just chuck out the bally teabags/egg cartons/mussel shells"

Hoarding booze for old age is understandable as long as you aren't 1) hoarding more than you can drink in one lifetime [because you are likely to use it up at a greater rate of you have loads and worry about it outliving you] 2) buying laboratory glassware with a view to setting up your own still 3) robbing your family of the one gift idea that they have for the man who who has everything 4)creating a fire risk
Risk (or perecption) of scarcity is one of the principles of advertising, so perhaps Mr Cameron was an advertiser's dream

Shell grotto - lir I love shell grottos but does OH know they are officially classed as "Outsider Art", most of which is usually by an artist of unsound mnd and not destined to be seen until after the artist passes. [I don't eat shellfish, where can I get me some shells?]

If you now know what richard means then you can class yourself as one of the in-crowd and continue sharing your inner soul on here for ever

Yes, the thread is far graeter than the sum of its parts. So is "richard" - we only see the item of flotsam(jetsam?) bobbing on the shoreline when we decide to save something and don't notice the tsunami of stuff building up on the horizon

I've opened a shop on Folksy - as I am actually doing craft instead of just talking about it, but don't want to end up with a houseful of items - feels like a positive move!

Now I am selling on eBy I find I have already de-richarded most of my useful packaging so may even have to buy a postal box to send to Oz - C'est La Vie!

I do the silver/gold warp thing in the sales but DD goes one step further and only uses brown Kraft paper - looks very stylish the way she does it. Remember that the gift wrapping should never be better than the contents? Well anything wrapped in brown paper always exceeds expectations

Green Metropolis - I sold a book of which there were many available, but think mine may have been a seller because I wrote a bubbly review about it

When putting cardboard inners into the rubbish, unravel them, or someone will project them (or we give them to hammy hamster)

GreyQueen

babyshoes wrote: »

.

There is also the issue with sorting through things that need tidying up/putting away - if it is all mixed up I can't just chuck it out, I have to not only sort through it but make decisions about what to do with each item, and decisions are not something I've ever been good at. I still don't really know what I want to do when I grow up - I'm in my 30's for goodness sake!

:D I'm nearer 50 than 40 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, either!

I'm working out what I don't want to be, though, so I suppose that's a start...............:rotfl:

I'm going to have to work for 3/4 of the day but what I'm most excited about is the run to the c.s. after work with 2 bagfuls. And I shall need to ask them for some more gift-aid stickers because I've used the 2 sheets-ful which I only had a few weeks ago. Feeling a sense of progress.

The parentals are incoming this Saturday and this will cause me to a) tidy up and b) send some stuff back to theirs, so by Sunday things should be more orderly in my gaff. It's all good.

Keep on keeping on, and I love the concept of sneaking jamjars out one at the time in the recycling. I think I need to do this myself, as I hoard the pretty ones (unusual shapes or printed lids). What can I say, I used to be an art student and am easily-amused................:rotfl: