NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

vulpix

Oh i am with you on the clearing out of relatives homes.My FIL died last year and that was a job and he wasn't a hoarder.

My Mum has a wardrobe full of material she has had for about 50 years.I recently sold her a chair on eeeeeeeeeeebay and it is so much easier to get into her sitting room now.I also emptied and washed the contents of her 2 display cabinets.She got rid of quite a few things which I took to the charity shop that day before she changed her mind.It looks nice in there now,I don't think she realised how cluttered it had become as she is quite disabled with arthritis so has piles of stuff round her chair.

It is all my husbands stuff that overwhelms me.When he moved in with me he just packed everything and didn't sort it out.This move he has had a good sort out and a lot has gone to charity or the tip.He was a DJ in the past and sent THOUSANDS of single records to the charity shop.He still has the cd's ,mini discs and cassette tapes!And all the equipment and then some.He also has masses of clothes much of it unworn,and shoes of course.I realise I love my kitchen stuff,not gadgets but crockery.I could easily host a street party.Other than that I don't have a lot of stuff,not got a lot of ornaments or any thing.Oh just realised he has box upon box upon box of photographs.I have about 20 photographs.My photo album form my first marriage went in the bin the day he left.:rotfl:

When we moved here we had 2 removal vans,i hope to be leaving with 1 Vx

agnesjr

Primrose, JackieO & Vulpix, thanks for replies. You have me nodding my head and smiling.

Mum clears cubpoards, clothes, books etc regularly....only to go shopping again....cs a favourite...to replace or get new to her things. She also has arthritis and can no longer knit or sew, so reading and bargain shopping are her treats. But oh so much stuff.

Thankfully my OH isn't a collector or a hoarder. And isn't into stuff. Tbh, I admire the patience some of you are demonstrating re OH's stuff. I would be inclined to drip feed it out of the house and then deny all knowledge when asked 'have you seen it'. No, haven't seen it....true cos in CS

My FIL small flat also had to be cleared witin one week after he rip. And all that was taken by relatives could be put in a carrier bag. Furniture left to residents of other flats or charity.

Darn this all seem morbid! Don't mean to be, rather lighten the load rather than weigh down with stuff. Suppose really thinking that a lot of the stuff we think we need is just fluff. Nonsensical fluff.

Keeps the NBI ship light of load if we don't overload with fluffy stuff. And helps the next crew after us to have an easier turning out of the cabins. Not fair to let them sort out cluttered up hammocks. Lead by example NBI crew

GrannyKate

Still not read the book but think I should. I am doing well with household and clothes and have even got OH on board to some extent. Problem is I think I am redoing easy categories to avoid tackling papers and photos etc.

Both retired and have a largish bungalow so hoping to stay here as long as we can. We drive now but there are bus stops, shops, post office etc within walking distance. We have spent money to make garden manageable. Keen to reduce carp in loft etc and to set aside a few boxes that each of children can just have with mementos when we downsize or pop off.

I know that revisiting paperwork is going to be hard but it should be done and shredded.

I try to hear in mind that replacing things is more difficult on pension but most items last far longer than retailers would wish and much has been replaced over the years just for the passing pleasure of something new. I do still have 4 of the 6 kitchen tools from the set I was given as a wedding present 45 years ago. Potato masher, slice, solid and perforated spoons still in regular use. (Prestige guarantee worked in this case). Palette knife snapped last month which was quite sad. I also still have a bread knife in use which was a wedding present.

My mum downsized then went into care so I had a couple of goes at reducing her stuff. She had written a list asking me as executor to offer certain items to people which I did. If they didn't want it I offered it to others then disposed of what was left. We helped mil move a few years ago and there was an amazing amount of just in case stuff mostly unopened. After another 10 years she has filled her new place up as well. I know I will one day have to do all this again. I am hoping to get her to tackle the 2 suitcases of photos with us but need to do my own and my mums first.

Right nothing to do this am so it's the study paperwork for me. Have a good day everyone.

GreyQueen

I was having a convo recently with my mother. My parents are having a planned replacement starting later this month of an ailing 20 y.o. back boiler type CH system with a new combi boiler. As a result of this, several parts of the house are going to be pulled about, including access needed to part of the loft (a header tank will be coming out of the loft).

Mum was saying that they will just move a few things over to make this tank accessible, but in reality, there is no 'over' - the place is rammed. I did gently suggest that maybe some of the things up there could come out and leave, such as the sunlounger bought about 30 years ago and used once or twice, and that perhaps several old suitcases stacked about 25 years ago with unneeded linens ought to be at least checked and possibly donated if worth it.

I have to be very careful about such suggestions, however, as Mum has serious hoarding issues relating, most probably, to a very insecure and troubled early life. If you push her, she becomes very stressed and digs her heels in. She recognises that this isn't always rational, but seems unable to help herself and highly-resistant to others helping, too.

Ach well, we all have our funny little ways. And she still has some of the 1960s Prestige untensils in use, too! They knew how to make things in those days, hey? :rotfl:

I'm busily Not Buying Things except food, and it feels good. Big chunks of cash will be leaving my bank account in the next 2 months on new glasses and dentistry, so won't be feeling particularly rich, but those items won't be taking up a lot of room............:p

Kerry_Woman

Still trying my best in NBI. For the rest of the year I am going to try my hardest to resist any unnecessary purchases. Still trying to declutter things in my flat. Have managed to take some things to the charity shop, the recycling centre, normal recycling for weekly council refuse people to take, or bin(which are not suitable for CS). Still got 2 carrier bags to take to cs(one still needs to be filled up. Would really love to get things sorted out this year, as I want to decorate my flat.


I am doing a free online health and nutrition course at the moment. On the last unit and assignment. I know that I have passed the first two assignments and still waiting to hear about assignments 3, 4 and 5. Then they would have to be seen by a moderator who will then decide if I pass each unit and course. After I have submitted unit 6, I can then start on the free mindfulness course.


It has been a bad year for people who I have known passing away. It was really sad seeing my neighbours flat being cleared out after he passed away. Someone else I have volunteered with has given up on this treatment for C and has not long now. This has made me try and enjoy my life even more and to have the odd treat and to do more things with my life.

[Deleted User]

Well yesterday I was very proud to say that I walked up and down Bromley High street before going to lunch at the 'meet' and only spent 20p on a box of paracetamols in Wilko's I looked in several chazza's and saw nothing I fancied lashing out the cash on(Bromley chazzas are a bit more upmarket than were I live :):) ) so my total outlay was pretty low I did have to give my gardener a hefty sized cheque (£1200) for my ramp but it was cash well worth spending and I definitely won't be moving again in my lifetime thats for sure Until I get carted off in my cardboard box

So its now back to normal and hanging on to the pennies again, but whats new I do that most of the time anyway Lovely lunch and afternoon at the 'meet' and it was nice to put a face to the names.

Picklepot

De lurking...
Love reading your posts and regularly thank if I am on my tablet rather than my phone but I have had two messages on my screen telling me I have reported spam posts (?I haven't)
Can anyone advise please?

Primrose

I accidentally press the Spam button all the time when flicking up posts on my iPad because I'm right handed, as most people are, and it's really been badly located on the right side of the screen where most people would flick. I think if you press it again you usually get another notice appear asking "not spam? and you can click this to invalidate your previous report.

I don't know whether the moderators of the site or the IT staff could move the location of the Spam button o the the bottom left hand side of each post. It might prevent fewer of us with tablets accidentally flicking on it as we move through posts when reading them. Does anybody else have this problem?

Picklepot

Thank you primrose! I have UN spammed as you advised.I'm sure I must have caught the spam button as you described .I've never really noticed it there before :0

Lindlou

Hi. Yes, that's happened to me too!
I have been able to cancel it each time but not before panicking in case it goes through and I unintentionally get someone into trouble!:eek: