Hoarding junk

Curry_Queen

Aries wrote:

While were on the subject of hoarding stuff,I wonder if anybody knows how long you should keep old Gas and Electric bills before you can safely get rid of them? thanks.
Kath.

Ohhh I've got the answer to that one! :j ... buy a shredder

(I filled almost 5 bin liners from all the useless old bills and letters when I got mine )

spurtle

My kids said they would order a fleet of skips to clear out the house if I kicked the bucket!! SO began the clearout!!! No heirlooms here, but not too much hoarding either.

Its much nicer having space ! I found it quite tiring to live surrounded by a lot of stuff...... am getting more minimalist as I age!

nearlyrich

Bogof_Babe wrote:

Oh yes, I am the same (except for the horse shoe - I was deprived and had to settle for a mongrel dog or
Mongrel dog you were lucky LOL:D

Sofa_Sogood

Curry_Queen wrote:

It makes me giggle as I know I'm not alone in some of the things I hoard

I have nightmares of becoming buried under a sea of cardboard boxes, or when you see those little old ladies on tv that can't move more than a few square feet in their homes cos of all the junk they've collected, and I think "that could be me in another 10 years if this carries on" :eek: _pale_

There's more people like 'us' than you think

And not sure if I've posted this to you before on here C_Q, but I did to someone .... but it reminds me of you, me and others ...

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

LOL

Keep up the good work C_Q

Sofa_Sogood

spurtle wrote:

My kids said they would order a fleet of skips to clear out the house if I kicked the bucket!! SO began the clearout!!! No heirlooms here, but not too much hoarding either.

LOL spurtle. I bet you thought you were going to pass those 'heirlooms' on to them eh? They beat you to it

(Time I started the big clearout - mine doesn't want anything belonging to us either - and most of it's theirs! )

1sttimer_2

What a revelation - there's more like us out there. We have stuff from when we bought our first house (30 years) which was going to be 'useful' and we still haven't used them

On the other hand, OH decided (after much nagging from YD) to get rid of some old broken tellys (about 5 including a B & W one :eek: ) and other useless items of that ilk. He thought it would be good to carry on every weekend chucking/recylcling things. 2 weeks later I think he's got the heebie jeebies about it :rolleyes:

One good thing is our Church is having a Jumble sale next week so I can have a bit of a clear out - ready for the things I bring back

Penny-Pincher!!

Hey

I hate clutter so dont hoard anything really. Anything left around is put in a box in the shed and when theres a few bits in there-it gets ebayed I do keep some items I know I will use again (carriers, padded envelopes people send me and recycle them). Im struggling at them moment as my bedroom is also home to DH computer and desk. He will be moving it all out in the office in the next 2 weeks and I cant wait.

OH used to be dreadful but he was bought up in a complete messy and very dirty house and they used to keep everything :eek: I hate going there now-they havent changed.

I am a complete clean and tidy freak, but know this stems from my unhappy & abusive childhood (dont want any sympathy...lol)I have noticed though that in the past few months where I have become so ill and housebound that my cleaning freakiness has worsened and have become more compulsive. I hate living like it, but feel its better than smoking/drinking/drugs etc.

Penny-Pincher!!
xxx

brummiebabe

Aries wrote:

While were on the subject of hoarding stuff,I wonder if anybody knows how long you should keep old Gas and Electric bills before you can safely get rid of them? thanks.
Kath.

I think it's about 12 months - I always shred bills/bank statements etc after this time!

Sofa_Sogood

Curry_Queen wrote:

It makes me giggle as I know I'm not alone in some of the things I hoard

I have nightmares of becoming buried under a sea of cardboard boxes, or when you see those little old ladies on tv that can't move more than a few square feet in their homes cos of all the junk they've collected, and I think "that could be me in another 10 years if this carries on" :eek: _pale_

It's no good ... I've had to pop back C-Q

I've got visions of you turning up on Life Laundry (what happened to that btw? lol)

Why not conduct a little experiment?

Leave the turntable outside saying it's free to a good home? If it goes you might have lost a fiver, or piece of junk lol, but someone's gained something they must need? If it's there after a day or two - send it to the tip.

or "donate" some junk (sorry if it's not junk as such lol) to the local tip? Put "Sofa_Sogood" on one piece for instance, "1sttimer" on another, and even "Penny Pincher" on yet another?

Bit like a Garden of Remembrance - but for clutter?

I'll "treasure" your dumped turntable forever if it's any consolation?

Then I'll do the same ....

Maisie

I'm a hoarder too or so my husband says! To me it's sentimental. We've been married 45yrs and known each other for almost 50 (shows my age!) I have all the love letters he wrote to me..... (all say aaaaaaaah!) He was in the army so I got lots. Also all the birthday/anniversary cards he sent and also from our kids first 5 years.
Not junk to me and there's hundreds of photos of grandparents parents kids etc etc. Have boxes full of them. Even have letters my dad wrote to my mum during the war.

Have letters from 55 years ago from a penpal whose family I still keep in touch.

Plus lately I've been going to car boots and buying bits and pieces thinking they might be valuable one day! ... This has to stop and tonight I've filled a big bag with things for the charity shop.

Also found about 30 Wade figures mostly chipped. I'll give them to my grandson for when his mum does a boot sale. He might get pocket money for them.

My hoarding has got worse since the kids left home as before we didn't have space to put anything. Now we still don't have space!

Anyone want 5 bone china mugs I bought today at boot sale! I have to make a start somewhere.