Hoarding - A New Start

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

RAS wrote: »

Great script JJ

Ever considered writing for a living?

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

I so agree with this!

I wouldn't know where to start with that!




Much to my surprise, the handbag I was looking for was in stock and a further two pounds cheaper. Unfortunately, it was smaller than it appeared on the website and somebody had lost the detatchable shoulder strap which was the main reason I wanted it. So it stayed in the shop and I didn't get anything else. Pity.

However, as I walked around the rest of the place (a large tkmaxx) I was struck by the number of people desperately searching for things to put in their baskets. None of them looked happy. I suppose after the effort to get there, they felt the need to have something to show for it.

I wish I could have told them that Nothing Bad Happens when you walk out of a shop empty handed, even though some stores try to make it really difficult to do so, but I couldn't.

Hopefully, one day they will realise that.

yellowdots

Hello

I haven't caught up on the thread properly yet - almost a weeks worth to read which I look forward to doing tonight and the weekend.

A big welcome to the new people posting you will love it here.

A sudden post while its in my head. Definitely look at the containers you are keeping. I know it has been mentioned before.

For instance I have been dithering over whether to keep a vanity case, with a zip oval top, for weeks now. Its been hanging around for a decision. I don't use it when I go anywhere as its another thing to carry and I can fit my toiletries in the bag, holdall or case. Plus I hardly ever go anywhere due to lack of funds.

So then I think well it is still useful to keep 'things' in. What things?? lol its going to the charity shop.

Another example was when I was putting away my xmas decs and I couldn't get all the smaller containers holding various baubles into the larger box (I never can this happens every year! ) So this year I got rid of the 2 round old chocolate tins and used 2 smaller shoe boxes instead. I put the 2 tins into recycling and everything went into the larger box fine.

Note to self not to keep round tins for useful storage purposes as they take up more space

Note to self not to look at items as useful storage containers!

lancashirelassie

Evening Peeps,
Just dropping into here before I head back to work... got that wrong in all this snow!! I love a challenge:).Got 4 shifts (48hrs) to do then am off on leave again for another 2 weeks... Well I feel quite happy with my little self just now.. shredded 2 more A4 lever arch file contents then also for the moment got 1 full of plastic insert sleeves. Will take them to work tomorrow!! all shredding gone into recycle bin no2.. thats my lovely next door neighbour,she loves it she says makes her look organised;). Well the office looks a lot tidier and generated some space on a shelf.. remember I am aiming to empty all in here and move it downstairs... to be very minimal:D. Been working my way through the candles, yes why was I saving them?? Kitchen also being worked on with using up the store cupboard.. I dont take much attention to dates on items.. hence why I just made large amount of flap jacks.. yum yum.. oats were dated 2011. I had a rough year with my (mental)health but am on the up now:rotfl::rotfl:This was when I found this thread and spent my time lurking...;). Am going to do my fantasy blanket crocheting tonight, have a good weekend all
x

This_Year

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

. We'd have conversations something like this;

'BABE'

'BABE'

'BABE!'


[Sigh. I really wish he'd speak to me instead of bellowing at me the whole nine foot distance from the kitchen to the sofa. And give me the chance to answer] Yes?

That would have had me attempting to put a stake through his heart or to cut his tongue out. It's one of few words that I really detest. I have a perfectly good name, please use it. The other word guaranteed to do that is "hun" :mad:

Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I'm just a grumpy old woman in training but those two words do inspire me to perform random acts of violence. :eek:

But I can relate to the cheese sketch. :rotfl:

Hormonal Annie Me is shrieking for cheese, chocolate, red wine and doing nothing for the weekend... bet that don't happen!

yellowdots

tattycath wrote: »

I have loads of stuff I should get rid of but I keep putting it off saying 'I'll list it on ebay, no point giving it away when I can get some money back on it'. I now have an overflowing cupboard full of 'stuff' to sell.

Just quickly before I go cook my tea and I'm not sure if anyone has replied to this already.

I'm talking from experience when I say its will be easier and quicker to get rid of the less desirable items to the charity shop. Sometimes your perceived value of things is way off, no offence hehe. I was doing the same until half way through last year, when I felt more relief at having made a big space than photographing every item, weighing it, describing it, posting it, and so on.

I do still ebay, but I only put on around 10 items a month, things which I know or hope will sell and if they don't they go to charity shop. If you search the items in completed listings you will really get a good idea of whether its worth the time ebaying them or not.

I am also quite annoyed at myself for keep putting off the decisions on things, the decison making is the main part of the battle for me

GreyQueen

[QUOTE=Jojo the Tightfisted;
I wish I could have told them that Nothing Bad Happens when you walk out of a shop empty handed, even though some stores try to make it really difficult to do so, but I couldn't.

Hopefully, one day they will realise that.[/QUOTE]:D I used to think that if I'd "invested" X amounts of hours searching for a particular garment and hadn't found a suitable one, I should buy something, anything, to justify the time spent.

That way lies madness. And an awful lot of clutter. It's an evolved consumer who can say to herself; Yes, I did spend 4 hours this afternoon looking for a pair of boots and frankly, nothing has grabbed me and I'm going home now.

;)Agree about the writing talent, I was seeing the convo with the bloke as if it was a sitcom..........people are funny, aren't they?

yellowdots wrote: »

Hello

For instance I have been dithering over whether to keep a vanity case, with a zip oval top, for weeks now. Its been hanging around for a decision. I don't use it when I go anywhere as its another thing to carry and I can fit my toiletries in the bag, holdall or case. Plus I hardly ever go anywhere due to lack of funds.

Note to self not to look at items as useful storage containers!

Hi hun, I shall give you a great reason to part with the oval vanity case; the last time I saw one of these actually being used as luggage, it had come open on the baggage claim carousel at the airport and a very embarrassed lady was scurrying around like mad trying to gather up her toiletries in front of a couple of hundred strangers. Some of whom (not me) were openly laughing at her.

We don't want to be in her shoes.

Managed to get some more recycling outside and that's all good. Using up another tube of toothpaste and another bottle of shampoo and will recycle the shampoo bottles. I have probles with containers but am forcing myself to be strong.

The other day I found the original documentary about Richard Wallace on YouToob and started to watch it. I say started because I began to have the collywobbles about him squirming through the trashpile that was inside his home and had to stop, it made my claustrophobia so bad *shudders*

Hokay, more tea is on the cards. Keeping pecking away at the hoards and treat yourself gently at all times; it's a journey but it isn't the Paris-Dakar rally. We can take it slow and easy and get where we want to be, just the same.

lostinrates

This_Year wrote: »

That would have had me attempting to put a stake through his heart or to cut his tongue out. It's one of few words that I really detest. I have a perfectly good name, please use it. The other word guaranteed to do that is "hun" :mad:

Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I'm just a grumpy old woman in training but those two words do inspire me to perform random acts of violence. :eek:

But I can relate to the cheese sketch. :rotfl:

Hormonal Annie Me is shrieking for cheese, chocolate, red wine and doing nothing for the weekend... bet that don't happen!

I love pet names. Maybe not 'Hun' ( it makes me feel war like and I don't understand why it's become that rather than 'hon') but I like honey quite a lot.

Dh and I have hundreds of names for each other. Even our pets have hundreds of names. Pink whistley, sitting on my right knee right now loves her nick names, and seems to chuckle at a couple of them, while mauve squeaker, currently on my left knee, loves it when dh uses one pet name for her but responds to no one else when they use it!

sjprmc01

Today the cash-for-clothes stuff went, made £6

Bag of shoes and tights went to school mum with younger dd

And a Dora doll whose hair grows (and was all matted) went in the bin!

I ordered youngests boots online and nothing more!

I did happen to pass by the reductions in m&s though and got school trousers for eldest for £2. She did need a new pair, hers irritate her legs because the seam rubs. I got her a new school bag for £3.75. This isn't something she was desperate for but she has taken to going to school with more a handbag style of bag lately as re school bag is too big, this one is in between the sizes.

I also got her a calendar for 50p

decogecko

Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change

Hello all

Took my Disn*y videos down to oxfam. I ummed and rrrred for ages on this. I used to collect them in my teens (I'm 31) - there wasn't a great number, probably 8, but it it's taken ages for me to get rid of them. I don't even have my video set up with my TV! Why did it take so long?? I think it's because they were my escape, they didn't resemble real life and there was always a happy ending. I was bullied at school and people I considered friends weren't really.

Now I absolutely have no need for the 2 video players in my room of despair so they're going on freecycle this weekend.

I think my hoarderish tendencies that reared their ugly heads last year was down to the fact that my life has changed so much in the last 3 years (some changes my decision, but many forced) and I just wanted some consistency and getting rid of something would be yet more change. I dunno maybe it was that, what I now know is that having a clear out and changing the feel of my home has been a very positive experience.

Deco x

JellyBox

I have just read the first ten pages (the other thirty-six will be read when I can find the concentration!) and can identify with so much. I'd never have called myself a hoarder before, but I would have said I was a person who hoarded items - there's a difference in my head somewhere! I'm very lucky that OH is not like this at all, he doesn't even (or didn't until recently) have sentimental stuff around, he helps to keep my clutter under control, things like binning 30 or so loo roll tubes (kept because I run a monthly youth club - could be useful for craft) or endless part pieces of paper (shopping lists/memo pads).

I constantly look around our flat and I can see we don't have enough space. I know that if we (I) had less stuff it would be easier, but when I try to declutter I manage to shift maybe 5% of stuff. I have bags of clothes waiting to go to the clothes recycling (haven't gone because I might need them before they go/need washing), bags of stuff waiting to be ebayed (need a free weekend), boxes and boxes of cosmetics and toiletries (I use them, or have used them, or will use them, won't I?). I really want to try and sort this out, I know it's making me miserable and it's not even that bad - not compared to some, but our flat is small and my stuff is lots. I even have about 20 firefox tabs open at any one time, and instead of closing them all I bookmark them in endless lists organised by date. What is that all about?!

Sorry about the ramble there, I'm pretty much working this out as I type, I hadn't really realised all of it before I started! What next though? I can't envisage a day when I can get it started - I know I could spend a weekend planning ways of reducing the clutter and the stuff, but actually doing it?