Hoarding...not just on TV

Brighton_belle

GreyQueen wrote: »

Moral - I shouldn't confuse myself with someone who lives in a warm dry country.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Is this an excellent example of aspirational clutter?:D Life styles we aspire to that have little basis in reality...like the clothes horse exercise bikes...

GQ, I have appreciated the warmth and love with which you have described your mums background and issues.

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

Probably a fallow week this week, but the important thing is to not bring stuff in.

Though off to get rid of some clothes to the recycle shop as I had to go to the dentist, still getting over the sedation and so I have a bus ticket! Most of it is bagged, just need to get the will to move now.

Not a fallow eek then if you have got stuff out of the house and are working on not bringing stuff in:T:T

wannabe_sybil

Byatt - it is so good that you walked away from the shop.

Re keys. I decided that they had to have a home. So on the back of the door, underneath the door curtain, is a sort of brass thingy (one day will be sprayed black - one day...) with hooks on for keys. That is where keys live, no other place.

And on that set of hooks are keys only for things I know about! Of course my key ring has all sorts of odd keys, but that is another matter altogether Mainly to do with getting the dratted things off.

I loved collecting key rings when I was younger, I had chains of them. I can't remember why or when I got rid of them. I want to collect something as then people would know what to get me for Christmas. At the moment I am just asking for strong drink. It works.

And in the last four days I have got rid of @ another 10 kilos of clothes. All the easy ones have gone now, so I'll just have to see how I go.

Edited to add - thank you, Brighton Belle, I suppose I do need to see a day not getting worse as a success.

blossomhill_2

SmallL wrote: »

Im a 'hobby hoarder'
Iv had various hobbies (even though im only 20) painting,jewellery,fabric crafts etc
Whenever im out il buy 'bits' for my hobbies with the intention to start again and sell on etsy, to be fair i did sell 2 things on etsy

Hi SmallL
Ref your postabout hobby hoarding

This is actually a big problem in many homes, due to it being “aspirational” and also to the clever marketing of craft materials, which has been perfected in recent years. It's often hard to accept that we have moved on from a particular craft.

Often shopping channels are using the (illusion of?)limited availability to persuade people to “buy now stocks are low” and I worry that the buyers are shopping not crafting. And they also have the art of selling us storage for the mateirals too - and then some ... semi-industrial cutters for cottage industries ...trollies for the craft storage!

Or some hoarders are acquiring materials for upcycling and hoarding instead (who moi?)

Every so often I see “crafters” at boot sales who have loadsof packs of materials with just one item or one corner used out of each

I think the important thing is make sure your crafting outweighs your shopping, and that you only buy what you can realistically need, instead of bumper packs – as you have successfully sold on Etsy (well done!)you must be doing something right, but perhaps need to plan the next or a few projects that just use up surplus materials and give yourself a buying rest before restocking.

I had a similar problem with DIY – I thought I was a good DIYer when actually I was good at getting carried away with a credit card in a DIY superstore and all I was actually doing was shopping! And I couldn’temploy trades people to do the work properly as the house was too full of materials and I had spent the cash on that!

None of this is a reflection of your craft or abilities, it is just about keeping the hoarding instinct from submerging the artistic side

I do a craft which can look wonderful with each piece carefully selected, which is of course what commissioners want, but I have to do some cheaper, self-selected projects every so often to use up some of the lesser materials

(If you felt like PM’ing me, I’d love to see what you sell on Etsy!)

gravitytolls

I certainly had the potential to become a hoarder, but became a chucker instead.

I don't know when it began, I just know tha tI went from keeping every card, every children's doodle, every 'memory', filling the loft, cupboards, sheds, having beds with legs to store stuff beneath etc., to chucking stuff.

I still have my little piles, things too good to chuck, things I'll ebay (never do), but in the main, I get rid. I take books to the book stall, clothes to the charity shop, junk to the tip. I often get into bother because I've chucked something out.

My mum has OCD, she has a hard broom, a soft broom a flat broom for under the tv cabinet. Various mops, dusters, fluids, sponges. She follows the children around with a cloth saying 'mind my walls, doors, floors, carpets, cat' etc. I've had shows thrown at me because I tucked them neatly beside the sofa instead of where they lived, a small table, various other minor objects. I've been stomped on in bed whilst curtains were removed for washing, when nanny was poorly and slept in my bed, I had ot share with mum, and was turfed out in the middle of the night because I'd creased the sheet.

So, I think I went the other way, I'm more than casual about housework, and the only reason I am now a chucker is because I'm so rubbish at having places for stuff, so never know where anything is. This is still a problem, but at least we have to turf through less to find things ~ if I've not slung 'emout!

JoJo, I really hope you're mum is getting some help,strikes me she should've been sectioned while the council cleared her home.

lostinrates

Have not kept up, but the first billy book shelf is here! I am crazily excited, will have it filled by tonight. .

blossomhill_2

GreyQueen wrote: »

Moral - some make shift things aren't as good as the proper things. If you already own the proper things, use 'em

LOL Agree totally! As part of my declutter I have stopped using saucers as pet food dishes and plant saucers - Mason Cash make perfectly good pet food dishes so all I need is one per pet +1 instead of scores of saucers. Stewart make pefectly good plant saucers - 75% off in Wilko each year- all I need is one per houseplant +1 ... instead of scores of saucers

GreyQueen wrote: »

Moral - I shouldn't confuse myself with someone who lives in a warm dry country

Moral - I shouldn't confuse myself with a small country - so will stop buying food, toiletries, bedding etc on the scale of one

Tibbie's_mum

Cheapskate wrote: »

Afternoon everyone

Been reading the thread but seldom time to post; in a way it's good to know there are others having problems like me, and also so uplifting to see when people have good days or get to the end of their mess!

Things are really bad here (for me, maybe not in comparison with others), but there are so many times that I feel tired and depressed, so that when I try to crack on with it all, the whole thing is overwhelming. Intellectually, I know what to do, what to get rid of, and am desperate to do it, but there's so much to tackle that I frequently feel like sitting down and crying like a big girl's blouse amongst it all (and have done so before!). Some days I'd cheerfully take a flamethrower to the house!! :eek::rotfl: ...there now, I feel better already!

I don't have to work in my weekend job until August now, just working Thurs/Fri in my new job, so after today I'm aiming to fill at least one bin bag each for the tip and CS every day - trust me, it won't be difficult! Confession, I still have boxes of kitchen "stuff" in the garage from when we moved into this house 16 years ago! You think I need 'em? :rotfl::rotfl:

I know I have problems letting some things go, not everything though, so think there's a chance of redemption - think I'm a hoarder-in-the-making........................

I thought this was me posting this, but I such a lazy moo, I can't even get my thoughts down on the page.

I have 3 beautiful boys who I should be spending my time with, instead, I spend my time thinking about getting rid of my clutter but never actually being able to do it. It's quite scary that those hoarders on TV have bathrooms they can't get into, due to having building work done I've had to move a load of stuff in to our ensuite, we can still get in and use it, but it ridiculous that the boxes that have gone in there are seriously full of junk, why couldn't I just cull it all!!

Sorry for the rant.

Gingernutty

I've got rid of two crates and two big bin bags of stuff - I've raided the kitchen drawers (screw light bulbs in a house with only bayonet fittings :huh:) and started on the book case.

I've not done any Charity Shopping this weekend (the first weekend after pay day) and everything in my house is now being appraised -

When did I use it, if at all?

Why don't I use it?

Can I pass it on?

Can it be recycled?

There is a stack of books for the Charity Shop along with bits of stationery and light bulbs (someone will need them, right?) sitting in yet another crate and there is a stack of books to read before I decide whether to keep them or pass them on.

BTW, how has this thread reached 33 pages already? :eek:

lostinrates

I spaced my book shelves wrong, but its more than half full, and i know i will not finich if i unload it now. .

I have also found three books i have two of. at least they will make the charity shop money again, unless a friend wants them.

lostinrates

Gingernutty wrote: »

BTW, how has this thread reached 33 pages already? :eek:

because we are collecting posts along with the rest of our carp:D