Hoarding - Springing Ahead

guinea_pig_girl

Hello, been reading this thread from a hundred odd pages back, but wanted to say hello and post after the help from this thread got me over a hoarding hurdle today! Moved from 1 bedroom house with OH to semi in the burbs, and scarily seemed to fill it with stuff. Been busy sorting as we go, and getting rid of stuff. Today was paperwork day, and OH emptied 3 large boxes of paperwork carp, and I got stuck on 1 large envelope. Honestly. This larger than A4 envelope I have kept in a clear folder since it was sent to me in 1999 and holds my degree transcripts and other certificates that have been accumulated. I cleared out last month all the old exam result letters and that was fine. Today, had a complete moment as the envelope won't fit on the shelf and I was freaked out at getting rid of the envelope itself. Partly as I know what it looks like and know where to find stuff, having got in a mess chucking a manky folder that held passport etc now still can't think what I'm looking for when I want that anyway, was busy then trimming the top off the cardboard and envelope to make it fit, then realised it was still too wide. Had to really think about it, but then put the stuff in a smaller envelope and back in the clear folder and now it fits. For crying out loud, it was an envelope!!!!!!!!! Just when I think I am getting better with de hoarding stuff, have an incident like this. Sigh.

Hides on couch and declutters after 8 s from Christmas, whimper. Anyway, had all the words of wisdom from reading the thread and envelope is in paper bin.

Gingernutty

I buy gadgets.

Many are useful, but some are awkward to use and just sit in cupboards.

I've pulled out a Gear4 speaker which has sat in its box for over a year as pulling out the plug to something else and putting it's plug in is physically awkward, a two pipe shower attachment for a bath (I've got a mixer tap) and a face sauna which I bought with points in the January sales.

I've used it once. It can't go in the bathroom as it's an electrical appliance and the logical place to put it was in the cupboard in the kitchen.

As I put the roll of kitchen paper on top of it in the back of the kitchen cupboard, I just knew it wouldn't come out again.

I found the guarantee and instructions, put them back in the box and it's in the CS pile.

I've bought some new tops and so, in a one in, one out way, five old tops have gone in the pile.

In a major shift to get on top of my procrastination, I've brought some coats to the tailor's to have the sleeves shortened, prioritised the cross stitch backlog and had a major tidy up.

I've got rid of an awful (secondhand) honey pine table and chairs which filled the back room and left me shuffling round the edge of the room to get to the kitchen.

I replaced it with a folding table and chairs from John Lewis.

It sits, folded up, to one side of the room until I need it. I can now walk directly across the room and because the chairs are folded away, I've got fewer places for clutter to accumulate.

The back room floor is easier to clean too.

thriftwizard

I've become very fierce with myself about gadgets. I sometimes look longingly at KitchenAids and Macbook Pros, but have to remind myself that they do just end up gathering dust, like my smartphone, whilst I go back to older, more reliable methods of doing things. But I do still fall for them sometimes...

Guinea Pig Girl, I know exactly how you felt about that envelope - upstairs I have several bin-bags-worth of thread reels, old zippers & buttons etc that I just can't bring myself to shift onwards. It's DAFT, I have enough good thread to last a lifetime, enough to keep the stall going for months, and I really don't need this lot and I do need the space back! But I've been in there several times to organise it into a bag to donate to the guys who take these things out to the third world, to help people who really need it, and somehow I've achieved anything BUT. In fact I've usually ended up in a strop like I was on Friday, with the mess as bad as ever.

I'd give quite a lot to understand why I can't just get on with it...

craigywv

oooooooooooh gadgets let me see,kenwood chef and all its bits...............lucky to use once a month prefer to use elbow grease and big bowl. waffle maker.......used twice,dont like taste of waffles!!!!!!! expensivefood processor over £100 anyway used once too fiddly,juicer again too fiddly much prefer glass juicer thing found in car boot sale for 50p compact and fits inglasses cupboard,hamburger press!!!!!!!!!!!!!WHY WHY WHY? meat slicer yes saves a fortune but after near loss of digits on numerous occaisions have got electric knife to a tee,pie maker.............dust gatherer,foot spa ,no comment, I could go on but im starting to add these all up and can see a holiday there sitting taking up space in my cupboards!

guinea_pig_girl

Thank you Thriftwizard. Some types of stuff are just harder to deal with than others. I have my boxes of craft stuff still to sort, and unless I know I can put stuff to a good home where it will be used, I can't get rid as I can't stomach good stuff going to landfill, hurts my inner womble!

Sometimes I just crack and bin things, and it feels good to have won out over the power of the carp, especially when I can see that the item is just carp!

Found a gadget in the move, old phone docking station with speakers, been there so long, think it is obsolete grr

GreyQueen

Inner Womble - I am so stealing that.

Re the gadget, have you thought about offering it on freecycle/ freegle?

I had a kackered non-working printer which my techie guy had looked over - needed a new printead which took it beyond economic repair for me. Techie guy advised me to offer it on fregle. Did so, advertised with fault, as non-working and only suitable for spare or repair and was virtually trampled in a rush of people after it!

thriftwizard

Old techie stuff is always in demand here; it gets snapped up by people training to mend the things. Music tech stuff ditto; stuff that DS1 considers hopelessly obsolete (he works at the cutting edge thereof) is usually gone within the hour of offering it.

Do you have a Scrapstore nearby, GPG? They'd be glad of any surplus craft stuff; I've donated a fair bit to ours. Anything they can't use, they pass on to other Scrapstores (they have regular "swap-meets") or other charities.

Hit the buffers again here; I've had sinusitis and found bending over rather painful, so have left the mess for a while whilst I recover. But I must get cracking again soon; the spring sunshine is making the mess painfully obvious...

Gingernutty

I got rid of a shopping trolley of stuff.

All the above mentioned gadget-y stuff, a few useable plastic bags and I took a collection of torn plastic bags to the recycling bin in Sainsbug's.

I've decided to give up chocolate, swearing and one thing a day for Lent.

I've already modified one of them to swearing out loud. :rotfl:

Today I got rid of my only pair of trainers.

The last time I used them for exercise, they raised blisters on both heels.

guinea_pig_girl

Hmm, I have never used free cycle, fregle so must look into in then try and be brave! Had put gadget on selling site at w#rk but no joy. Must look into Scrapstore too, thank you. Item hiding under desk at office so gone but not gone.

Happy to have decluttered open tub of glace cherries into Mallow Roll, I do love a traybake! Making progress on finishing up toiletries too. Is it just me, when you finally find an item like moisturiser that's been in the way for ages, focus on using it up and by the end of it, think, Oh, this is actually nice, maybe I'll get more, when really the stuff has been sitting for months/years etc unused!!!!????

Metal plug cover hair trap thingy that doesn't work well is in metal recycling, and manky hairbrush with bits missing gone too. Better than nothing.

mothernerd

Spent yesterday doing my well known pack animal impersonation - came back from the bungalow the night before in a taxi due to the 5 sacks, 2 rucksacks and 2 ordinary shoppers full of stuff.

Made myself start moving because I really needed to get it out of my house - the front room was nigh on grid-locked. So 2 sackfuls at a time to the c/s, then some electrical stuff to the Hospice shop. In the afternoon took large rucksack and two bags to mum's church friend - raffle/ tombola prizes for church. Still have the single bed in the front room covered in things that are 'in transit' - stuff collected from one place and destined for another (hovel/bungalow/ charity/ have to ask brother if he wants) and items too precious to lose - old family photographs etc. Not prepared to take them to the bungalow until it is fully organised.

I have cleared the 'spare' room at the bungalow three times only to have some relative of mum's partner (mostly the eldest son) dump yet more unsorted boxes in there (two car loads have already had to go back to the hovel - one was the contents of two old wardrobes, kept in the back bedrooms, none of which had been used for at least 5 years, nearer 10).

Spent Monday mostly sorting the clothes they do wear. Introduced mum to the joys of Kondo folding and ranger rolling and got in more per drawer. Each of her partner's drawers has a purpose - socks, longjohns (wearing now), underpants (will wear in summer), long sleeve vests, short sleeve vests etc and made one of the bed drawers into a 'summer only' clothes. Changed all the 'shop plastic' hangers for better ones. Still need another day on clothes alone but did a further cull of some items (left a c/s sack so g-d who does day to day stuff can bag up anything that is too small for him).

When taking things to the c/s I saw a wardrobe and two small sets of drawers that were not exactly to my taste but were very well made, especially by modern standards. taking a few days to consider if I will purchase them (think I have talked myself out of it) but came home and identified 7-8 items of furniture that I can let go). Was initially thinking about keeping things in balance but am going to try donating these to a charity and NOT replacing them.

I have persuaded DS3 to get rid of a whole filing drawer of paperwork this morning (lots of old drawing books) and collected a bib bag of rubbish. Moved some old kitchen cupboards into the bathroom (going to cannibalise the thin black ones to make plinths for the kitchen). Wider shelves mean that I have got the bath towels in the bathroom rather than in the bottom of my (single no doors) wardrobe and large pack of toilet rolls off the landing.

Have identified a couple of boxes and other things in DS3's room that can be used to store things temporarily and have worked out how to stack a few more things so I can get the 'to be donated' furniture free.

Nearly finished the under stairs shelving supports which means the bits (about 8' long L shaped seriously heavy) of DS1's old bed will be out of the front room - I'm going to use them for the shelves. Would have finished but realised that it is much easier to change the bulbs that have gone before the shelves are in place - so went out to buy them and potatoes (to get the rust spots off the spotlight covers). Also did the cobwebs and wiped the top of the cupboards whilst I was at the top of the steps. So will be tomorrow or maybe next day but will all be in place by weekend.

I have struggled at times over the past few days. At one point yesterday I thought I was seriously ill - as in grumbling appendix about to burst or possibly a hernia ill as the pain was so severe. But when I got through the day and had had a chance to rest and reflect on what I had achieved, I was quite pleased. I feel much more like my old self.

Probably still couldn't get through a 'normal working day' and I am doing as much sitting down as possible - things like chopping veg I always do sat at the table where once I would have stood. Still having 'rest' days when I need to - spent quite a lot of today on the bed reading and knew as soon as I woke up that I would not be 'running about' today. But by using my energy wisely and listening to my body I am getting things done.

Thank you to all on this thread who have helped me learning to work within my limitations.