How much Useless Stuff do you have?

[alicia-w]

In preparation for downsizing our household and our eventual move out West, we are going through every single thing we own and deciding if it stays or goes. We didnt really realize how many collections we have. I've decided to part with my Russian box collection. It's nice but I dont need it. All those books!!!! Some have value, but most are paperbacks we've both read and wont read again. And those encyclopedias!! EGAD, when's the last time we ever touched those (not counting me dusting them...)

i've gone through my closet, my jewelry, my needlework kits, everything! and quite a bit of stuff has made it to the SELL or JUNK piles.

What about your house? Spring is here, so it might be a good time to go through all that stuff.

[Janice]

I had done this for a couple years. I sold a ton off Ebay and made a little money. Better than nothing. We do not have children, so we do not have someone to take the junk if we go. So, we plan to sell our house at the end of this year and move to the beach in a two bedroom condo. Yes, tons of stuff is going. We basically got rid of most, but still before the move, a bunch will have to go. Lawn mowers, generators, some outside furniture, etc. As far as clothes, etc., I cleaned out the closets this past year. There is nothing to go there now, thank God.

[angelwing]

Do husbands count?

[coriolis]

Hey!


In our household, my wife is the pack rat and I'm the ruthless one. We are renting our house, and the 1-year lease is up, so we could have to go on a 30-day notice. I don't think that will happen, because the owner tried to sell the house last summer and got very little interest. But I have moved many times in my life, and I will not keep anything that has no use. Even if it could possibly have a use someday, I may get rid of it if it would be easy to replace. The worst thing in our house: Clothes. We have 4 growing boys and it's a constant battle to weed out the stuff that they've grown out of. Right now we have enough coats and jackets for the entire 6th grade in the back room. Once the weather warms up for good, I'm going to go through that.

Here's my way of getting rid of clothes. Let's say that the boys have an over abundance of t-shirts. When I fold and put the laundry away, I won't put the clean t-shirts back in their closet. It will force them to wear their less-favorite t-shirts. Pretty soon, they're down to the ones that don't fit or the ones they don't lilke. At that point it's easy to get rid of some and then put the clean ones back in their closet.

[Pburgh]

CLEAN SWEEP!!!!!! I love that show.
If I haven't used something in 2 years I usually get rid of it. Except for tools. I'm not a collector. (only red glass and I use that)

[Janice]

I am with you. If I haven't worn something for two years, I never will. We travel enough that we wear all types of clothes all year around.

[Miss Mary]

As a teenager I collected glass perfume bottles. Took them to my first house, with my first husband. Along the way, several moves later and I gave them all to Goodwill.

In fact, I stopped collecting things like that.

But is my house organized and clutter reduced - ha, I wish!

My mom would clean out closets and then give all the junk to me. Being the nice daughter I was, I'd bring it home and shove it in my closet. An old cut glass bowl from Aunt so and so but it had a major crack in it. My mom said, oh just turn it this way and put it on a hutch shelf. No one will see the crack. Well, my hubby finally got me to see this stuff she gives away is all junk!

Now I see the bags sitting my her front door, as you leave you're just supposed to grab them and go. Opening them at home.

I don't do this anymore and we open the bags in her apt. I reject about 90% of all of it. Makes for an awkward moment but then I quickly realize had I been this strong when we moved here in 1989, back when we had empty closets and even several empty rooms with zero furniture, I'd be fine-fine shape now.

Now I'm just mean and say - no thank you, I need to be going thru my stuff, not taking home other people's cast offs.

The bags by her door have been greatly reduced. She'd also give me these old lady looking tops and my kids would howl and I mean literally, they were ROTFLOL!

I wish I could just take one room a month and get rid of so much stuff. Now that I'm working during the day, I no longer have huge blocks of time to do chores like this. More than 30 to 60 minutes here and there.

But perhaps you've inspired me. We joke it would take a year to get this house ready for sale. When the time comes. Sure would be easier had I started the declutter phase now.

Mary

[alicia-w]

Do husbands count?

sometimes, but i'm getting tired of replacing them....

[southerngale]

My name is Kelly and I'm a pack rat. I seriously need help. I have a hard time getting rid of anything, but yet I can't stand it if things aren't neat and clutter-free. It doesn't work both ways, so I end up with crammed closets, totes of stuff stored in the garage and workout room, piles of things that "I'm going to go through" but I always find some reason to keep the stuff.
and then try and keep the areas people see neat. As far as clean, I vacuum, dust, mop, etc. all the time. Even if it's messy, it has to be "clean."

If I wouldn't be too embarrassed, I'd write one of those shows that come clutter-free and organize your home. lol

[Brent]

Do husbands count?

sometimes, but i'm getting tired of replacing them....

I have a bunch of junk in my room and my closet. I have an ENDLESS VHS tape collection and now a rapidly-growing DVD collection(both movies that I bought and Primetime TV recorded), plus books, maps, and more junk. We moved back right before Christmas and it was a pain. A lot of my stuff that I don't use is out in the storage building in the yard, and some is stuffed into the bottom of my closet or under my bed.