Hoarding - A New Start

frizz2

Hi Everyone,
I went to the dump today and got rid of lots of old clothes, papers and glass. I went shopping but only bought what I needed on my list. I have made a list of all the things I can make with the existing fabric I have. Also of all the unfinished craft projects. These will keep me busy and it just shows I don't need to buy anything new. I am dertermined to keep the house tidy and put things back in their correct place.
I have not had set places for things that I have kept to and this has led to the disorganisation I feel generally in my home. I have cleared lots of cupboard space and made a shelf in the kitchen for the scissors, tape dispenser, spare tape, stapler, and a pot for all bits of stationary to go in. If I use any of those items I will put them back in that place. These are only small steps I know but organisation makes a huge difference and if I can clear a few bags of clutter a week and sort a shelf or a drawer a day it is realistic as I still need to work, cook meals and run the household.
I am using a notebook as well to write down the tasks I need to do and that is helping me.
I hope everyone else is making inroads as well into their stuff.

Pitlanepiglet

Help please!

Shoes/Boots - how many pairs have you got, where do you keep them? I've got loads and loads of shoes stuck in various boxes - so many that I managed to lose a box for three years and I hadn't even missed the shoes in it!

My dilemma is that all these shoes fit me, they are (mainly) quite wearable and in good condition. They aren't really saleable so if I get rid of them it will be to the CS but I can't really see the point in getting rid of shoes that I could wear just to help my clutter problem? Better surely just to keep them and wear them over the years as none of them are especially fashionable?!

I've got the same kind of dilemma about getting rid of things that I will probably use in the future - I don't mean junky thinks like marge tubs but things like my old sailing coat I've had for ages - it still fits me and if the right opportunity comes up then I'd need one like it so whilst it's taking up space, it doesn't feel very MSE to get shot of it.

I'm not sure I can see the line between hoarding because I can and sensible MSE like behaviour!

GreyQueen

PPP, I'm not a big owner of shoes as I have "difficult" feet and at a size 9, find it hard to shop for them. Add in orthotics and dodgy knees (i.e. nothing with more than a 1 inch heel on orders of the biomechanics clinic) and you have a problem.

My shoedrobe is; 2 pairs black flats (work), 1 pair Karrim*r trainers (everything else). I have a pair of soft footsie slippers at the flat and a pair of moccasin slippers at the parents' place which is a lot colder and has mainly hard floors.

I keep an old pair of boots at the lottie for use up there and have a pair of hiking boots and that's it.

Re holding onto shoes, I'd like to share the experience of Mum who'd kept a pair of new shoes in their box in her cupboard. She fetched them out when the old pair gave way, donned them and walked to the car. Drove a mile and walked from carpark to shops. Shoes felt a bit odd underfoot which she initially attributed to their newness.

She then saw that she was leaving a trail of crumbs and lumps; the rubbery composite of the soles was disintegrating and coming off as she walked. It was so acute that they were soon unusable and she went into a shoe shop and purchased another pair there and then.

A bloke I know also had the soles of a pair of shoes disintegrate in storage. Sooo, I would say keep what you'll use but do use it as they're not sitting in a sci-fi statis zone and are quietly going peculiar even if un-used.

I've also had a pair of Hi T*c hiking boots come completely unglued, tops from soles, with only 40 miles of use on them. But because they were just over a year old neither the shop nor the manufacturer would offer me any redress. So, I won't ever buy Hi T*c products again and will always try to bring stuff straight into use and use it up before I buy another pair. Unfortunately, it was an expensive problem and spoiled part of a holiday.

VJsmum

Today I have got rid of

• an old christmas tree - only miniature but I don't like it and was saving it for... I don't know what? So it's gone
• a recipe book folder given to DD. I haven't told her it's gone as she'd want it but it really was a folder with blank pages. No recipes have been entered and she hasn't looked at it for 2 years. Even the blank pages are going as we are awash with paper, notebooks etc. And I still write lists on the backs of envelopes
• an old makeup purse of DDs that i found in a random tin of "stuff" on top of the microwave. A tin that has been there for years with random, assorted carp. Don't ask me why i haven't just chucked the tin and its contents, cos I don't know.
• OH has chucked out a fleece - this indeed is a great and glorious day.:T

Goldiegirl

Some interesting comments about packaging.

I also like packaging, not the pretty variety, but the functional variety.

I do a lot of eBaying, so I like to keep boxes and Jiffy bags to re-use. I genuinely have a use for these things, but I now have a cupboard full of boxes.

I want to get rid of them ASAP, so I just need to get stuff sold on eBay. This weekend I have several auctions ending, with bids already on lots of items, so hopefully a few boxes and jiffys will go.

I hope so, because my cupboard of boxes is starting to look like a hoard!

decogecko

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

Help please!

Shoes/Boots - how many pairs have you got, where do you keep them? I've got loads and loads of shoes stuck in various boxes - so many that I managed to lose a box for three years and I hadn't even missed the shoes in it!

My dilemma is that all these shoes fit me, they are (mainly) quite wearable and in good condition. They aren't really saleable so if I get rid of them it will be to the CS but I can't really see the point in getting rid of shoes that I could wear just to help my clutter problem? Better surely just to keep them and wear them over the years as none of them are especially fashionable?!

I've got the same kind of dilemma about getting rid of things that I will probably use in the future - I don't mean junky thinks like marge tubs but things like my old sailing coat I've had for ages - it still fits me and if the right opportunity comes up then I'd need one like it so whilst it's taking up space, it doesn't feel very MSE to get shot of it.

I'm not sure I can see the line between hoarding because I can and sensible MSE like behaviour!

When was the last time you wore any of these shoes? As you said in your first paragraph you hadn't missed one box.

I've recently got rid of several pairs of shoes, one pair I'd only worn once as they were too high! They were an aspirational purchase - I aspired to wear lovely high heels and look glamorous - I couldn't walk properly in them - I looked ridiculous! Better for me that someone will make use of them and I've learnt the height of shoes I can wear without looking like giraffe taking it's first steps. In the long run I will save (and have saved) money as items have to earn their place in my home. Plus I have less disappointment in my home (i.e. the unworn shoes) to remind me of my past mistakes.

Why do you feel that you don't deserve to wear fashionable shoes? As Jojo would say you're worth it, your worth more than wearing unfashionable shoes just because you brought them x number of years ago. Your worth wearing shoes that you love.

Your jacket - when did you last go sailing? I kept a pair of riding jodphurs for over ten years before having LBM and realised as I hadn't ridden in that time I was unlikely too in the near future and it was more important to have that space in my drawer than keep feeling the failure of not going back to the stables. IYSWIM.

I'm sure someone else will come along and be more articulate than me.

Welcome to newbies (and hi lurkers) this thread has given me a whole new lease of life and I'm beginning to enjoy my home and it's beginning to feel like home after 18 months of living here.

Deco x

tibawo

Just reading about the shoes.. Tickles me only because I have some heeled boots and shoes not mega high but I can't drive in heels so only wear on special nights and because I am too broke for special nights they just sit there. However, I deny I am hoarding them these are a motivational tool!

There is five percent off the rug I've put a watch on whilst my clutter sells so it must be a sign! Virtually paid for now and still watchers and time to go!

Anyway I have had to organise some clutter into a pile only so when guests come tomoz they can see the food on the table. Dd2 keeps telling me its her birthday as if I didn't remember!

Off to do ten mins in my room... Wish me luck

sjprmc01

I have shoes I don't wear, but I can't bring myself to part with any. I have 2 x flat boots umm about 4 x heeled boots. Possibly 7 heeled shoes. About 4 flat shoes 2 x converse 2 x Wellies and about 4 x trainers

I probably wear about 6 of those regularly.


Made a start on the small pile I brought down from monster pile earlier. Did not do any de richarding and my work takes me pretty much out of the house all weekend so will try to get something done Mon. Although with it being kids last day off school I may opt to do something with them instead since I will have the whole rest of the week to get on with stuff.

Have a good weekend folks!

*I actually have more footwear than that but that list was just off the top of my head*

Pitlanepiglet

decogecko wrote: »

When was the last time you wore any of these shoes? As you said in your first paragraph you hadn't missed one box.

I've recently got rid of several pairs of shoes, one pair I'd only worn once as they were too high! They were an aspirational purchase - I aspired to wear lovely high heels and look glamorous - I couldn't walk properly in them - I looked ridiculous! Better for me that someone will make use of them and I've learnt the height of shoes I can wear without looking like giraffe taking it's first steps. In the long run I will save (and have saved) money as items have to earn their place in my home. Plus I have less disappointment in my home (i.e. the unworn shoes) to remind me of my past mistakes.

Why do you feel that you don't deserve to wear fashionable shoes? As Jojo would say you're worth it, your worth more than wearing unfashionable shoes just because you brought them x number of years ago. Your worth wearing shoes that you love.

Your jacket - when did you last go sailing? I kept a pair of riding jodphurs for over ten years before having LBM and realised as I hadn't ridden in that time I was unlikely too in the near future and it was more important to have that space in my drawer than keep feeling the failure of not going back to the stables. IYSWIM.

I'm sure someone else will come along and be more articulate than me.

Welcome to newbies (and hi lurkers) this thread has given me a whole new lease of life and I'm beginning to enjoy my home and it's beginning to feel like home after 18 months of living here.

Deco x

I'm not really bothered about fashionable shoes - I just like them to be comfy - I don't really feel hard done by at the thought of wearing old shoes. I overbought shoes for years as I have relatively odd shaped feet and I found a couple of ranges that fitted me beautifully (and some of them are things of beauty like my multiple Reiker sandals!). I wear some of them, but I have multiples of the same kind of shoe - so four pairs of similar black trouser shoes..

I also lived in two different places for a period of time so have multiples of shoes from that time including nice little going out shoes that I only wear a couple of times a year.

Most of them are quite good shoes so I'm not overly concerned that they are going to degrade, many of them are over five years old anyway (back to my shop happy days!) and aren't showing signs of falling apart.

I guess I need to get them all out and see if I can prune any that I am not going to wear - I'm sure there are some - then look at the duplicates, I guess there is a limit to how many sparkling evening sandals I need when I don't go out very often - I just don't want to then have a scenario where I end up having a panic about buying shoes (difficult with funny shaped feet!) when I NEED a pair that I don't have.

The sailing jacket is probably a bad example but there are similar things that I can see myself having a purpose for in the future - I've done this before, binned things to clear space and then just found myself having to go out and buy something!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

I'm not really bothered about fashionable shoes - I just like them to be comfy - I don't really feel hard done by at the thought of wearing old shoes. I overbought shoes for years as I have relatively odd shaped feet and I found a couple of ranges that fitted me beautifully (and some of them are things of beauty like my multiple Reiker sandals!). I wear some of them, but I have multiples of the same kind of shoe - so four pairs of similar black trouser shoes..

I also lived in two different places for a period of time so have multiples of shoes from that time including nice little going out shoes that I only wear a couple of times a year.

Most of them are quite good shoes so I'm not overly concerned that they are going to degrade, many of them are over five years old anyway (back to my shop happy days!) and aren't showing signs of falling apart.

I guess I need to get them all out and see if I can prune any that I am not going to wear - I'm sure there are some - then look at the duplicates, I guess there is a limit to how many sparkling evening sandals I need when I don't go out very often - I just don't want to then have a scenario where I end up having a panic about buying shoes (difficult with funny shaped feet!) when I NEED a pair that I don't have.

The sailing jacket is probably a bad example but there are similar things that I can see myself having a purpose for in the future - I've done this before, binned things to clear space and then just found myself having to go out and buy something!

The question is, did the world come to an end because you didn't have that one thing at that moment?


Whenever it was, whether ten days or seven and a half years later, all you did was go and get another one. The world did not explode, no puppies were sold to Cruella de Ville and you didn't have those things cluttering up the place for the rest of the days/weeks/months/years/decades between the two occasions you wanted one of those items.


As an example, there was no point in my keeping a dog lead when I last had a dog nine years ago. At some point I could get another dog. And when I do, I will get another lead, not before. So there isn't an unused lead hanging from the coat rack reminding me of the great hairy dog shaped hole in my life. If a stray dog jumps in through my living room window or the old boy down the road keels over whilst walking his mutt, I'll use a scarf for the brief time a dog would be in my control.