Hoarding - Springing Ahead

GreyQueen

I think what you describe is called 'spaving' in some circles, as in spend-to-save.

I'm definately a spaver, and it has helped me eke an unpredictable and always low income into a comfortable life, but I struggle with the idea that I should have more (loo rolls, linens, tins, whatever ). Spaving can easily get out of hand, I find.

I consider it a matter of great good fortune that I only have a very small flat, 240 sq ft in total (to give a picture, the biggest room by far is only a whisker over 9 ft by 12 ft. Gawd knows what I'd be stockpiling if I had a spare bedroom or even a spare cupboard!

At the moment, I have one-and-a-bit bottles of washing up liquid. And I am going to try to discipline myself to not buy more until the bottle in the cupboard is under half-full. That feels hard to me, makes me feel a bit wibbly, IYKWIM.

I am also using one pair of shoes for work which are getting towards worn out. And then I will throw them away and move onto the other pair of shoes I own, and I will not replace them until they are nearly worn out, too. I haven't space for shoals of shoes and I can't waste money on things which aren't going to be used, especially since I have orthotics and shoes must be a particular style to work with them, and those shoes tend to be the £60+ brands.

I was recapturing a memory from childhood the other day, of how I was in shoes shops. We didn't have much money and clothing and footwear were proprtionately more expensive than they are now. I would get my new shoes bought when the old ones were worn out, and I wanted to wear the new ones right out of the shop and the old ones went into the bin, often not even making it back to our house.

However did I turn into an adult who breaks into a cold sweat at the prospect of getting a pair of Ecc0 shoes because she really likes their shoeboxes?!

RadioHorse

Thrifty, I managed just four pens so far today but I'll get there!

pigpen

GQ.. some of my shoes/boots were in excess of £100 (about 4 of my 3000 pairs ).. £60 for a pair of adults well fitting shoes is not a lot!! I've actually sold 3 pairs of shoes recently..

siegemode

Hmmm now the amount of footwear I have definitely needs thinning out. you've raised another issue that needs addressing. I have some timberlands that I really should discard as apart from needing new soles they are too small for my orthotics so of no real use and the purple kickers I dreamt of and saved so hard for 27 years ago haven't been worn for over 15 years. I live in boots or flip flops and I must have enough to last me to the end and still not wear them all out.
Going to go and sort them out whilst the idea is fresh. Will try not to become distracted by additional stuff in the wardrobe in the process or I may become so lost I discover Narnia and can't find my way out.

GreyQueen

pigpen wrote: »

GQ.. some of my shoes/boots were in excess of £100 (about 4 of my 3000 pairs ).. £60 for a pair of adults well fitting shoes is not a lot!! I've actually sold 3 pairs of shoes recently..

:D Shows what a cheapskate I am, £60 for a pair of shoes still seems extortionate to me.

D'you really have 3,000 pairs of shoes............? I'd find even the idea of owning 30 pairs astonishing.

My shoeventory 10 pairs; 2 pairs of black work-appropriate shoes (1 pair on way out), 1 pair trainers, 2 pairs of hiking boots, a pair of slippers and 2 pairs of flip-flops. Oh, and a pair of Doc M@rtens with steel toes which live at the allotment shed for gardening. Plus a pair of wellies.

When the trainers wear out, I'm going to bring the lighter, fabric hiking boots into service in their place. Can't see me doing too much hiking in the immediate future and they're very trainer-ish anyway.

siegemode, tie a string to your computer so we can haul you back out if Narnia becomes too tempting.

pigpen

I have a LOT of shoes.. I don't even know how many pairs, I also have 9 pairs of slippers.. because you just need that many don't you? .. however, I have released 6 pairs to CS and sold 3 pairs of shoes and a pair of boots and I have some more still on ebeast. I have some more to go on when I find the time/energy.

silvasava

Oh Dear........my DGD counted up my shoes a few months ago & the total was in excess of 75 pairs :eek: so I have seriously culled them BUT a pair of candy pink Brevitt slingbacks with a Louis heel (remember those GQ??) that were SO expensive in 1967 are STILL in my wardrobe! No I will not be getting rid of them - they still fit me, still in good condition & they come into fashion about every 5/6 years or so! I wore them when expecting DS1 & have photos of me in them at their Christenings I might put them in my will to be buried with them on haha. I now only buy if actually neeeded & try to have a one in one out policy

Siegemode - I sympathise with your issues & find them perfectly understandable as I'm sure many on here will do too. Whatever you get out of your home to whatever friend/charity/tip/freecycle & however you do it is one more step to less stress & more space. Maybe don't look at what you havn't yet achieved just concentrate on the things you have done, no matter how small it WILL make a difference.

System

Purple Kickers, Siegemode, sell them to me!!!
I love purple.
Linda x

GreyQueen

Yeah, the Louis heel is a design classic and, like you say, keeps coming back around again. Deffo keep them.

Sorry to be a nosy mare, but how does a person store 75 or so pairs of shoes? Dedicated cupboards or here and there?

I feel such a lightweight by comparison, I really am a bit of a rubbish consumer. I always joke if my belongings were spread about a more normal-sized home, it would be revealed that I am actually a bit of a minimalist, but in a place this size it looks cluttered.

Still, you need to live within boundaries, and mine are tighter than some, more generous than others.

I am using the after-sun cream up as handcream and it's working OK, so once that's over, that's one more thing outta here. My bathroom supplies minus the soap stash and the ladies' monthly stuff all live in these;



Well, mine are white, but that's the idea. And there are only 3 things in the bathroom which don't fit in those, so it looks pretty streamlined in there. So much more likely to dust the top of the cistern if nothing is allowed to roost up there, I find.

pigpen

I have a plastic tub full of shoes, an underbed cupboard, 2 shelves, loads in boxes under the cot and on the chest of drawers and a bunch on every shoes rack in the house.. I might count them all one day.