Can't let go of cables!

[MilStachian]

While my wife and I are on our way to Mustachian bliss, I have this crazy inability to let go of computer/electronic cables.  "You never know when you might need one of these!!"  Although I haven't used most of the cables I have, it's really difficult for me to toss any.  I rationalize that cables are expensive and I don't want to be caught without one.  I've tried sitting down a few times and sorting them into a "keep" and a "toss" pile and I find I can only throw away one or two.

Any ideas?

[dragoncar]

Keep em.  You probably only need a couple of each type though.  Eventually you will throw away the ridiculously obsolete ones, right?  I mean I hoard cables but I don't have any parallel printer cables anymore.

[Eric]

I have a whole drawer full of them.  I can barely get it shut.  So no, I have no ideas for you.

[luigi49]

same problem.  some guy was giving away a router but told me I need to take a box of cable.  The box pluse mine = too many. 

[Rural]

Keep 'em. That little voice in your head that keeps saying you might need one is right. +1 to only keeping a couple of each and ditching the real antiques. They don't take much room.

[taekvideo]

I have a box of them in the basement.
Scratch that, 2 boxes.
I find myself needing one every once in awhile, so really no need to get rid of them.

[fantabulous]

Start making belts/bracelets/etc out of the old ones?

[Thegoblinchief]

The truly obsolete ones are in a separate pile. I tell myself I'll be motivated bored enough one day to strip them and use the copper wire for some windings/melt it down for an art project.

Still need to get my aluminum furnace put together but I think we donated our only hair dryer in the last decluttering.

[mxer54]

I keep them too…I also keep boxes to things that are fragile (TV's, Computers, etc).  The wife used to be annoyed with it but when we move (military family, so we move here and there), she found it very useful.  Placing your iMac or flat screen tv in a protective box that is built for it instead of wrapping it up in blankets is SO much better.

[jnik]

I rationalize that cables are expensive

Sounds like you haven't discovered Monoprice. Just about no cable's expensive enough to be worth the expense of keeping.

Put all your cables in box A. Get an empty box B. When you need a cable, check box B first, then box A. When done, cables go in box B. After a year, box A goes out the door.

[MustachianAccountant]

Someone in another thread about "Just In Case" items linked this article:
http://www.theminimalists.com/in-case/

Basically, if you're keeping something "just in case" you need it at some indeterminate time in the future, get rid of it. The 20/20 rule says you'll never need what you're getting rid of, but if you do, you can *almost always* get what you need in 20 minutes or less for $20 or less.

[Fireman]

Got a bin full of cables, and a shoebox each of ethernet and various USB cables.  When I was in the 4th grade, my parents got a Tandy 1000 EX from Radio Shack and have had countless computers since then.  Each one has come with it's own array of cables and most of those have stuck around.  Being the (non) resident computer guy, I ended up with them. 

Until recently, between my girlfriend and I, there were 5 computers in our apartment.  Last week, I gifted my Win 7 PC to dad because his was dying and a new PC (Win 8) was out of the question.  So now we're down one to 4, right?  Nope...came back with his and my old PCs to clean up and sell or take to Best Buy for recycling. 

Anyone in the market for a zip drive?

[Wino]

Sell 'em for scrap, at the very least. You know those things are made of copper, and that it can be recycled? Copper prices are pretty decent now. You could have $30 or more just lying there, unloved, in a pile.

[zachd]

Post each cable and we will tell you which to keep :)

Honestly I have thrown out 50 cables in the last year.  I have only ended up needing one, an optical cable that is round on one end and square on the other.. I bought it on monoprice for $3 + shipping. 

I have a small tupperware box that has maybe 15 cables now. It's manageable. I doubt I will ever use any of them.