Hoarding - Springing Ahead

GreyQueen

nervousdaughter wrote: »

For those of you who read my first couple of posts - I thought I'd let you know that there's been progress, slow and sure (and expensive as some of the repair work has been done) but still a mountain to go and unfortunately I'm at a juncture in my own life which is stressful so don't have as much time / energy to spare.

But really, in all, I feel much more like we'll get there in the end.

:T Glad to hear that there has been some progress and steady and sure is more likely to be sustained than a mad blitz, anyway.

I have returned the garden fork to the pal who is belongs to, so next time I am up at the allotment shed, there will be a delightful bit of empty air where is used to be.

One of the things which I took to the tip was a glazed ceramic planter, of the kind which you would keep indoors to stand a flower-pot in (i.e. no drainage holes). It wasn't mine originally, I dug it up, which was quite a surprise.

It was in one piece bar a huge and ugly crack from top to bottom. I washed it and would have donated it to a c.s. but the crack would have just seen it binned. Couldn't use it as a flowerpot without getting drainage holes into it somehow (it held water despite the crack) and I have no houseplants at home due to lack of space.

But hey, it was intact, so I felt that I owed it something, and it floated around on the patio on the lottie for months. Til I made a last minute decision to add it to the car on Weds for the dump run. Although I did lay it gently into the bay so it didn't break and would have (theoretically, anyway) been retrievable.

Anyone else felt that they owed a debt - or a decent burial - to some random item?

savingqueen

Hello everyone,

Haven't been on here for an age but started reading again recently. I can identity with so many issues - in particular I have no problem, just pleasure in giving away unwanted stuff to people who can make use of it ideally friends (more likely to tell me if they don't want it) or charity shops, recycling etc. Far far harder to get rid of stuff otherwise especially if I can see the potential value in it and/or have "paid good money" for it.

Inspired by a friend who is similar to me and is finally getting to grips with her hoarding/cluttering, I have got rid of some unwanted stuff lately. The more I delve into bags, boxes, cupboards etc, I more I realise just how big a job I have onb my hands. In the past I would have a mad clearout once in a bluish moon and then nothing for years. I haven't the time/energy to do that now so am aiming for a little bit most days.

Amongst the tat, I have found some genuine treasure - some pound coins in an old film case, a collection of decent quality pens and a more recent hoard - a half eaten packet of choccy digestives (just out of date and sealed up well, still yummy) Feel better getting rid of stuff when I find the odd genuinely useful item.

sq:)

GreyQueen

SQ, had to grin about keeping coins in film cannisters; I do that. A 35mm container is a perfect fit for my £2 coin collection.

Anyroad, I'd been annoyed whenever I walked around for the past few days by a clunkety-clunk from my very small handbag. Finally investigated what was causing it yesterday and it was a film can with the £2 stash - I'd been a bit light on for money this week, down to my last tenner of ready money, so I'd slung the change in there in case I needed it and promptly forgot it. Doh!

Never lost a half-pkt of biscuits, tho - what a lovely surprise.

lobbyludd

I have to admit to bringing home an intact flower pot from the last tip run I did (people leave things that are intact but they don't want at the side of the recycling pods so that others can have them (the people manning the centre are very happy for this to happen) a sort of impromptu free-cycle.

It is still in the boot of my car:o but it does have an intended purpose - will house a christmas present (a few of my family/friends swap cuttings at christmas - free presents which we all enjoy). The 4 small picture frames I picked up need to go back though as they've been on top of a kitchen cupboard for months and I haven't found use for them.

This system does make letting go easier though - I don't have to find someone who wants my "too-good-to-bin" stuff, I can just place it there and it's fate is then out of my hands. Although there is always an old gentleman at the centre rifling through the bins picking out random things and placing them in his shopping trolley - so if not careful it can be a hoarder's downfall.

whitewing

Windows are open and house is airing nicely (when I was at my most hoarderish I felt very unsafe with windows open).

Threw out 4 socks with holes in them.

I am hoping the rain holds off long enough to dry my towels.

Bed clothes are in the washing machine.

I am laying out all of DD's clothes on my now-stripped bed, so we can go through them and recycle summer clothes and anything else too small and worn. We have relatives who like to buy DD clothes for Xmas so we can make a list of one she'll need and sizes. That way they get the pleasure of choosing but we get stuff we need.

Been reading on another thread that others are getting Tesco vouchers. I hope we get one. If we do, I am trying to plan some spends to let us have a stock of things. That is one of the joys of having space, if I do have a deal like this I can quickly identify what we NEED (not want) and where to store it.

Got rid of a chunk of business stock from the house too.

In came a big toy for DD for Christmas. Half price so another great opportunity as we had space to hide it. It's exactly the kind of thing that my parents would never have bought for us; a 'waste of money'. I am all for treats if they are budgeted and not too frequent. I used to nearly burst with anticipation for Christmas but at a point where mum and dad's marriage was terrible, we used to get tatty old crap from jumble sales. It wasn't the lack of value that upset me, it was the lack of care and thought. I do believe that you can have a happy Christmas on a shoestring if need be, as long as you have care and affection for your family.

I still secretly lust after a Christmas cupboard, with Christmas crockery and so on that we keep purely for the month of Dec. I really love the Emma Bridgewater Christmas design and saw some lovely Xmas mugs in Wittards. (DH wouldn't let me chuck out the tacky Xmas ones we have and get the new ones - sensible really; it wasn't an essential spend.

I even enjoy Christmas more since the dehoarding because we have space to do the tasks. For example, writing Christmas cards is just writing Xmas cards, not finding the bloody things, trying to track down a decent pen, knocking a glass of mulled wine over them because it's balancing on the edge of the table as the sideboard is cluttered.

Goodness me, where did all these thoughts come from?

parsniphead

Afternoon everyone

Two carriers bags of stuff taken to the charity shop yesterday. I don't mind taking it there as I get an email every so often telling me how much they have made from my stuff.

I have also decluttered a light bulb into an empty figment which has been empty for ages.

I really need to get rid of all those tiny bits of rubbish which for some strange reason seem so important but aren't. I would love to start redecorating but it's pointless if I'm just end up putting loads of tat back in when finished.

The corner from hell in the bedroom was started but I didn't realise how much rubbish I had stored. I thin k this afternoon I'm going to give it another go. I want it clear ASAP.

whitewing

Had to get some of DD's winter stuff out of my wardrobe for her great sort out.

So then I started on my own wardrobe, which I thought was relatively okay. Took out the bits I like that don't quite fit. I have had almost daily wear out of the for a few winters now so they have turned into comfort clothes. Comfort clothes are clothes one is so used to having that one doesn't even think about whether they are worn out, badly out of fashion, don't suit changed figure etc etc. I need to let them go.

A bad thing has happened, but I think it is secretly quite good. I had a small but precious pile of clothes at the bottom of the wardrobe that my friend made me a long time ago over a number of years. They haven't fitted for ages and ages. I had loads of wear out of them at the time. One top and skirt has got badly moth eaten so has had to go. Which has made me think about the others, and out they will go too. They serve no purpose for me know and I have photos of me in them anyway.

I need a new actual wardrobe though. Mine is old, with handles broken off. I am stuck in the perfectionist, if I can't have a full bedroom set with new carpet and wallpaper then I don't want anything. But we need to improve as much as we can on what we have for the moment I think.

GreyQueen

Have been to the c.s. with a donation bag and came away with 6 books. Well, they'll be read and re-donated and it's all in a good cause.

Decided to time how long it takes me to make a batch of bread rolls from scratch (12 mins start to finish) then I can wander off to let them prove for a few hours. OK, I have to wash up the baking sheet afterwards but it isn't really very much time and effort for the pleasure of having home made bread.

Thoroughly agree about all the little bits and pieces. I have some that belong to that special catergory of Dunno what you are but you look Important so I better keep you. Honestly, if they have been detached from whatever they are a 'ponent of for years, and said item is still functioning, they can't have been that ruddy inportant in the first place.

Only I have a nagging anxiety that if I sling them something just turrible will ensue; armageddon perhaps.

greenbee

I'm busy washing all the curtains my vendors left behind when they moved out (why? They didn't say they'd be leaving them and I don't like them) so that I can take them to the CS. I've also cleaned all the lampshades they abandoned. Seriously, if it was me, I'd have removed them all to avoid leaving behind the evidence of exactly how disgustingly filthy I'd let my home get...

So the car is being loaded up with all their junk as I need to get the garage tidy and start clearing the house (having finally unpacked) as the boiler, hot water tank and downstairs radiators are all due to be replaced in just over a week, and I need to make the space to be able to keep things out of the way of the workmen...

GreyQueen

Urggh, sounds like you've had a busy day doing stuff which shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. Funny how often that happens, isn't it? I occasionally collect beer bottles from around the place and sling them in our communal glass recycling bins. Of which we have several, on all exit routes from the block.

Rationale is that if someone leaves a glass bottle on the stairs in the flats, someone else will kick or throw it, either accidentally or on purpose. And an intact bottle takes seconds to deal with, whilst broken glass get everywhere, inc potentially into the paws of peoples' dogs and cats. That thought makes me cringe, so I pick up the bottles (and wash my mitts very thoroughly afterwards).