Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1850125 times)

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1500 on: April 28, 2015, 03:05:22 AM »
She does say the process helps define your identity, values etc….I'm still a work in progress I guess.
Aren't we all! :)

wintersun

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1501 on: April 28, 2015, 04:41:08 AM »
I have had a combo of the joy of less clutter with the sadness of realising I have signed on for more than I want in the way of house size.  The feeling of clearing the clutter is incredible, I still feel such a lift when I look into certain rooms and see clear space instead of piles, but, now that I do not have that hanging over me, I realise that underneath all of it was an overwhelm at maintaining too much house.  It is as though I have glimpsed freedom and it is still beyond my reach.

Without the stress of stuff to occupy a chunk of my mind the stark reality of extra cleaning, repairs, etc is more apparent.  I think that is why decluttering is such a big deal, because once you have done it you are left with what is left, and it may not be what you want.

When people talk about shopping and acquiring being an addiction to fill an empty hole inside us it is partly about this.  If we are paring down in every way, that can mean paring down rental houses that require too much time spent repairing, etc, it can mean losing extra weight and the clothes that went with it, it can mean clearing out toxic relationships or people, it can mean clearing calendars and diaries and, suddenly, coming face to face with ourselves and our real values.  And it can be raw.

I am finding this.  What do I want in life?  If I am not overwhelmed by a never ending list of things to do (such as decluttering that never gets done) then my mind opens and there is space ahead, and that can mean change. 

As Mary Oliver says  'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'



boy_bye

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1502 on: April 28, 2015, 04:54:59 AM »
Over the weekend I hosted a clothing swap with 3 of my friends who are around the same size, and I tell you it was perfect. We all brought huge bags of stuff, and left with much smaller piles of new-to-us stuff. One of the participants even offered to take all the leftovers to the donation center -- 5 big contractor garbage bags worth!

My closet is very tidy! And I also culled my makeup and accessories and shoes. Where I'm struggling is letting go of (awesome) vintage fabric, and letting go of a couple of semi-expensive items ($100 boots, a $300 necklace that I can easily resell but need to send back to the maker for a small repair first).

I don't just want to give this stuff away, but so far I have been a little too lazy to do the work needed to sell things. Maybe I can be a little less perfectionist about it -- sell the fabric in a lot on Craigslist or eBay instead of listing each piece separately on Etsy, sell the necklace as-is ... It will mean less money but I will actually DO these things, whereas taking pictures and measuring and listing and describing dozens of pieces of fabric I will likely never get around to ...
« Last Edit: April 28, 2015, 04:56:32 AM by miss madge »

wintersun

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1503 on: April 28, 2015, 05:10:14 AM »
As I put into effect some MMM style changes I am finding there was mental clutter in places I was unaware of.  Each of the following has cleared a section of my brain:

Tracking our spending rather than stressing about the unknown and being freaked by unexpected bills
Losing weight and therefore getting rid of clothes and also working to accomplish an old, old goal
Getting rid of piles of paper (still recurring but getting there)
Emptying 90% of my computer files, emptying my email folders, having an empty email inbox most of the time, unsubscribing from email lists
No longer receiving junk mail and credit card offers, in fact rarely getting mail now
Changing to online bills instead of physical mail
Choosing to not engage with toxic folk
Belonging to fewer organisations which require attendance at regular functions
Keeping less food on hand, fewer clothes, fewer books, fewer cleaning supplies, fewer crafting things, fewer tools, fewer shoes

Unconscious Living:
Living without attention to the details of my life was stressful. 
Living with constant clutter is mentally enervating and can numb me to the rest of my life, sort of like an addiction.
Things that stay on the To Do list for years suck me dry.

Conscious Living:
Awareness ( I know where our money goes and what is in the house and where things are and what state my health is in)
Choosing rather than reacting
Keeping things clear and simple with nothing hanging over me for more than a brief time
Clearing out the tumbleweeds of years means I can get on with actual living and conscious decisions in every area.

And even though I am not there yet, and still have areas to deal with, the question is arising:  'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'

Who knew that the simple act of committing to clearing some papers would lead to this?


Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1504 on: April 28, 2015, 05:25:22 AM »
I have had a combo of the joy of less clutter with the sadness of realising I have signed on for more than I want in the way of house size.  The feeling of clearing the clutter is incredible, I still feel such a lift when I look into certain rooms and see clear space instead of piles, but, now that I do not have that hanging over me, I realise that underneath all of it was an overwhelm at maintaining too much house.  It is as though I have glimpsed freedom and it is still beyond my reach.

Without the stress of stuff to occupy a chunk of my mind the stark reality of extra cleaning, repairs, etc is more apparent.  I think that is why decluttering is such a big deal, because once you have done it you are left with what is left, and it may not be what you want.

When people talk about shopping and acquiring being an addiction to fill an empty hole inside us it is partly about this.  If we are paring down in every way, that can mean paring down rental houses that require too much time spent repairing, etc, it can mean losing extra weight and the clothes that went with it, it can mean clearing out toxic relationships or people, it can mean clearing calendars and diaries and, suddenly, coming face to face with ourselves and our real values.  And it can be raw.

I am finding this.  What do I want in life?  If I am not overwhelmed by a never ending list of things to do (such as decluttering that never gets done) then my mind opens and there is space ahead, and that can mean change. 

As Mary Oliver says  'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'

This is a beautiful piece of writing, and so true. "Who am I if I'm not the person who...had these things, had this career, had this education with these books, had these trappings of success?" And to sit in the vacuum of that quietude is certainly raw.

Thank you for the Mary Oliver quote, too - I'm going to check out some of her books of poems at the library.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1505 on: April 28, 2015, 05:34:51 AM »
As I put into effect some MMM style changes I am finding there was mental clutter in places I was unaware of.  Each of the following has cleared a section of my brain:

Tracking our spending rather than stressing about the unknown and being freaked by unexpected bills
Losing weight and therefore getting rid of clothes and also working to accomplish an old, old goal
Getting rid of piles of paper (still recurring but getting there)
Emptying 90% of my computer files, emptying my email folders, having an empty email inbox most of the time, unsubscribing from email lists
No longer receiving junk mail and credit card offers, in fact rarely getting mail now
Changing to online bills instead of physical mail
Choosing to not engage with toxic folk
Belonging to fewer organisations which require attendance at regular functions
Keeping less food on hand, fewer clothes, fewer books, fewer cleaning supplies, fewer crafting things, fewer tools, fewer shoes

Unconscious Living:
Living without attention to the details of my life was stressful. 
Living with constant clutter is mentally enervating and can numb me to the rest of my life, sort of like an addiction.
Things that stay on the To Do list for years suck me dry.

Conscious Living:
Awareness ( I know where our money goes and what is in the house and where things are and what state my health is in)
Choosing rather than reacting
Keeping things clear and simple with nothing hanging over me for more than a brief time
Clearing out the tumbleweeds of years means I can get on with actual living and conscious decisions in every area.

And even though I am not there yet, and still have areas to deal with, the question is arising:  'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'

Who knew that the simple act of committing to clearing some papers would lead to this?
You are inspiring! The point about the To Do List is well, well taken. I tell people "it's on my list, but it's a long list."

I don't want to live like that. I want time with the few in-person people I love, my family and friends. I want to take my kids to the beach for a whole day without feeling pressure to "do" other stuff.

The final frontier for me is, I think, the digital clutter and there is huge amount of fear that goes with that for me ("Who am I if I'm not nwedible.com.....").

Ohmygod. I might need to declutter my smartphone. Heresy. Gotta think about that one.

Hey, this service is really cool! I used it yesterday and un-enrolled from 124 subscriptions: https://unroll.me/

wintersun

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1506 on: April 28, 2015, 05:40:19 AM »
As Erica said, writing about this is helping me to see some things, thank-you Erica for this discussion.

De-cluttering for me brings to light the broken, the undone, the never used, the abandoned, the things that were purchased but were not quite right. It brings to light the years of depression and overwhelm when everything was too much.

The main thing that is evident to me now is that clutter in the form of physical objects, unmanaged finances, longterm unaddressed goals, broken things staying broken, no longer needed computer files, etc. seems to fill the conscious part of my mind 24/7 and stops me from being aware of or addressing the real issues in my life.

What will my life be:
Without a million household repairs and jewellery repairs and clothes darnings and more hanging over me? 
Without every surface heaving with yet to be attacked clutter?
Without all that unused fabric shouting at me?
Without the decades old goal of losing weight and all the attendant anxiety and drama? 
Without invisible stress as I see piles and files and miles of the great undone at every turn?
Without feeling guilty about not doing the things I promised?
Without feeling bad about never getting things done?
Without the self recriminations this all brings?

What will it be when my future is clear and...?  I started to add to that sentence but it felt to scary. A work in progress.




Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1507 on: April 28, 2015, 05:54:09 AM »
As Erica said, writing about this is helping me to see some things, thank-you Erica for this discussion.

De-cluttering for me brings to light the broken, the undone, the never used, the abandoned, the things that were purchased but were not quite right. It brings to light the years of depression and overwhelm when everything was too much.

The main thing that is evident to me now is that clutter in the form of physical objects, unmanaged finances, longterm unaddressed goals, broken things staying broken, no longer needed computer files, etc. seems to fill the conscious part of my mind 24/7 and stops me from being aware of or addressing the real issues in my life.

What will my life be:
Without a million household repairs and jewellery repairs and clothes darnings and more hanging over me? 
Without every surface heaving with yet to be attacked clutter?
Without all that unused fabric shouting at me?
Without the decades old goal of losing weight and all the attendant anxiety and drama? 
Without invisible stress as I see piles and files and miles of the great undone at every turn?
Without feeling guilty about not doing the things I promised?
Without feeling bad about never getting things done?
Without the self recriminations this all brings?

What will it be when my future is clear and...?  I started to add to that sentence but it felt to scary. A work in progress.

I'll take a stab at it.

...truly yours.
...free.
...lighter.
...open.
...filled with love and not fear, regret and guilt.

I know about depression and overwhelm; you have my warm understanding. I stare daily at a gouge in a cabinet door from when it was all too much and I lost my shit and threw a fork across the kitchen.

You know, I think I'll have that gauge professionally repaired now. It's time.

You might really like the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up if you haven't already read it. I felt this book made it FAR easier to let go of guilt things.

wintersun

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1508 on: April 28, 2015, 05:56:46 AM »
Hi Erica, your replies came through while I was writing.  Thank-you for the compliment about my writing, that feels good to read.

You are so right, if I am not these things, then who am I?  To what do I attach my identity and what happens when that thing is gone?  Do I try to get it back or do I step forward into the unknown?

You will, I think, love Mary Oliver.  She writes a lot about nature and self.

Thanks for the unroll me link.  What a wonderful service. 

I see myself de-cluttering in waves.  I do a big chunk, and love it, and then need to pause and assimilate.  And sometimes clutter will return to a particular spot, showing me that I do not have a system in place yet for that type of clutter (can you say paper?).  I am losing weight in the same way, in stages rather than one long even path ( And... sometimes fat will return to a particular spot, showing me….).  There are so many emotions hidden in this web that when I reach each stage I need to just be with the enormity of the shifts thus far.

Wow, I have written a lot this morning. Food for thought for me.


wintersun

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1509 on: April 28, 2015, 05:59:41 AM »
Quote
...truly yours.
...free.
...lighter.
...open.
...filled with love and not fear, regret and guilt.

It is painful to read that.  And wonderful. 

I will read that book, it seems to be helping so many on here.

Repairing the gouge sounds like letting go.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1510 on: April 28, 2015, 06:05:35 AM »
Wow, I have written a lot this morning. Food for thought for me.

Thank you for the side conversation. (I hope our thread hosts don't mind!) :) It is really rewarding to hear that other folks are working through the emotional side of letting go of stuff, too.

Good luck with it all, to us both! I think I will go for a walk now. I have a little fat that's returned of late, too. :)

Zamboni

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1511 on: April 28, 2015, 06:17:10 AM »
Erica, I had the same epiphany about my house the other night while reading the book. My house is just way too big.  I have two large rooms that I never use, two more that I seldom use, and another one that could be half the size. Selling and moving is a depressing prospect as I hadn't planned on doing that for at least a half dozen more years.

And another thing struck me that I had to really pause and process: I do not want most of the furniture in my house. Pretty much all furniture I own falls into three categories:
1) My ex- got to pick it after a drawn out disagreement about what style to get in which I finally gave up (in one case it took us an entire year to finally purchase a kitchen table and chairs.) All of this furniture is large and was extremely expensive; not just something I should haul down to the junk yard, although part of me wishes I had the truck and manpower to do just that.
2) Family gave it to me (old, not in very good condition) with the stipulation that I can never get rid of it or sell it, or
3) I needed something after the divorce (couch, chairs), so I just got whatever I could get that week on Craigslist.

I really don't like the style at all of any of the furniture.  I never have. It seems like such a minor, petty thing, but now it is really bothering me.  The divorce was years ago, but I still have these things I don't want for lack of an easy substitute. I do know what I would like instead, but the thrifty in me resists spending the money.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2015, 06:24:19 AM by Zamboni »

ender

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1512 on: April 28, 2015, 06:18:26 AM »
This thread is SO AWESOME to read.

We have a 1BR apartment, hard to have too much clutter there ;)

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1513 on: April 28, 2015, 08:25:21 AM »
Erica, I had the same epiphany about my house the other night while reading the book. My house is just way too big.  I have two large rooms that I never use, two more that I seldom use, and another one that could be half the size. Selling and moving is a depressing prospect as I hadn't planned on doing that for at least a half dozen more years.

And another thing struck me that I had to really pause and process: I do not want most of the furniture in my house. Pretty much all furniture I own falls into three categories:
1) My ex- got to pick it after a drawn out disagreement about what style to get in which I finally gave up (in one case it took us an entire year to finally purchase a kitchen table and chairs.) All of this furniture is large and was extremely expensive; not just something I should haul down to the junk yard, although part of me wishes I had the truck and manpower to do just that.
2) Family gave it to me (old, not in very good condition) with the stipulation that I can never get rid of it or sell it, or
3) I needed something after the divorce (couch, chairs), so I just got whatever I could get that week on Craigslist.

I really don't like the style at all of any of the furniture.  I never have. It seems like such a minor, petty thing, but now it is really bothering me.  The divorce was years ago, but I still have these things I don't want for lack of an easy substitute. I do know what I would like instead, but the thrifty in me resists spending the money.

My responses to your furniture problem:
1. Sell the ex-purchased furniture. Replace as needed with furniture you like.
2. If you like it, fix it up. If you don't like it, tell the family that unless they take it back by x date, you will dispose of it as you see fit. You're not keeping it.
3. Sell on Craigslist, replace as needed with furniture you like.

Take money earned from selling said furniture and use it to buy stuff that you like and need.

I also deal with the family piece. In my case, I don't take anything from family that I don't actually want, so I head it off at the beginning. However, eventually my sister and I will be stuck with a lot of stuff from our parent's house that neither wants. Family will have an opportunity to take what they want. The rest will be disposed of in some manner.

firelight

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1514 on: April 28, 2015, 08:26:31 AM »
The side conversations were enlightening. I'm still in the process of decluttering (and still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel) but I'm glad to have a peek at the next stage of decluttering.
Btw we have a two bed apartment and that feels big since we use the second bedroom more for guests (and junk!! Ugh!) than for everyday use. When I'm done, I'm hoping it just remains a guest room and not a junk room.

Cookie78

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1515 on: April 28, 2015, 08:33:59 AM »
The side conversations were enlightening. I'm still in the process of decluttering (and still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel) but I'm glad to have a peek at the next stage of decluttering.
Btw we have a two bed apartment and that feels big since we use the second bedroom more for guests (and junk!! Ugh!) than for everyday use. When I'm done, I'm hoping it just remains a guest room and not a junk room.

I have the same problem with my second room. Right now it's a junk/craft/storage/computer room. It's getting better a little bit at a time, but it's easily the most cluttered room in my house currently, the garage being a close second. Some day I hope I can either rent it out, or use it as a guest room.

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1516 on: April 28, 2015, 08:57:41 AM »
How do you deal with sentimental things, from relatives?  I have a lot of random items like delicate handkerchiefs from my deceased grandmother (or great grandmother), which I've had since I was about 10, but never use.  I find it very hard to purge sentimental items so those are the things that tend to clutter up my drawers, cabinets and closets.

Erica, I had the same epiphany about my house the other night while reading the book. My house is just way too big.  I have two large rooms that I never use, two more that I seldom use, and another one that could be half the size. Selling and moving is a depressing prospect as I hadn't planned on doing that for at least a half dozen more years.

And another thing struck me that I had to really pause and process: I do not want most of the furniture in my house. Pretty much all furniture I own falls into three categories:
1) My ex- got to pick it after a drawn out disagreement about what style to get in which I finally gave up (in one case it took us an entire year to finally purchase a kitchen table and chairs.) All of this furniture is large and was extremely expensive; not just something I should haul down to the junk yard, although part of me wishes I had the truck and manpower to do just that.
2) Family gave it to me (old, not in very good condition) with the stipulation that I can never get rid of it or sell it, or
3) I needed something after the divorce (couch, chairs), so I just got whatever I could get that week on Craigslist.

I really don't like the style at all of any of the furniture.  I never have. It seems like such a minor, petty thing, but now it is really bothering me.  The divorce was years ago, but I still have these things I don't want for lack of an easy substitute. I do know what I would like instead, but the thrifty in me resists spending the money.

My responses to your furniture problem:
1. Sell the ex-purchased furniture. Replace as needed with furniture you like.
2. If you like it, fix it up. If you don't like it, tell the family that unless they take it back by x date, you will dispose of it as you see fit. You're not keeping it.
3. Sell on Craigslist, replace as needed with furniture you like.

Take money earned from selling said furniture and use it to buy stuff that you like and need.

I also deal with the family piece. In my case, I don't take anything from family that I don't actually want, so I head it off at the beginning. However, eventually my sister and I will be stuck with a lot of stuff from our parent's house that neither wants. Family will have an opportunity to take what they want. The rest will be disposed of in some manner.

I have this as well.  I had a bad breakup about 8 years ago where the bad feelings came alive again last year when a friend had his life damaged by the ex as well and reached out to me.  Although I've since met and married my husband, it was in buying a new dining room table set a few weeks ago that I realized how much I need these pieces - particularly those I never liked - out of the house.  4 years ago I gave a friend the coffee table and side table.  A year ago, I threw away most of the bookcase.  And yesterday, I listed the kitchen table for sale on craigslist.  Once I find a spot to store or get rid of the stuff on it currently, the bath cabinet hanging out in the basement goes on craigslist too.  So yes, sell the furniture you don't like!  Bad memories create bad energy in the house every time you see it.  Sell one item at a time, starting with the most hated, and see how much happier you are.

former player

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1517 on: April 28, 2015, 09:27:47 AM »
How do you deal with sentimental things, from relatives?  I have a lot of random items like delicate handkerchiefs from my deceased grandmother (or great grandmother), which I've had since I was about 10, but never use.  I find it very hard to purge sentimental items so those are the things that tend to clutter up my drawers, cabinets and closets.

I'm struggling with this one too, as I'm currently clearing out my late mother and aunt's house, which contains their things plus things inherited from my father, grandparents (and earlier ancestors) and two predeceased aunts.  I'm going to keep the few things I can use or keep with love, and the rest will be donated/sold.

Could your some of your handkerchiefs be beautifully arranged, framed in a case and hung on the wall?

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1518 on: April 28, 2015, 09:40:47 AM »
How do you deal with sentimental things, from relatives?  I have a lot of random items like delicate handkerchiefs from my deceased grandmother (or great grandmother), which I've had since I was about 10, but never use.  I find it very hard to purge sentimental items so those are the things that tend to clutter up my drawers, cabinets and closets.

I'm struggling with this one too, as I'm currently clearing out my late mother and aunt's house, which contains their things plus things inherited from my father, grandparents (and earlier ancestors) and two predeceased aunts.  I'm going to keep the few things I can use or keep with love, and the rest will be donated/sold.

Could your some of your handkerchiefs be beautifully arranged, framed in a case and hung on the wall?

That's actually not a bad idea.  I'll look into it... 

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1519 on: April 28, 2015, 10:24:13 AM »
Erica, I had the same epiphany about my house the other night while reading the book. My house is just way too big.  I have two large rooms that I never use, two more that I seldom use, and another one that could be half the size. Selling and moving is a depressing prospect as I hadn't planned on doing that for at least a half dozen more years.

And another thing struck me that I had to really pause and process: I do not want most of the furniture in my house. Pretty much all furniture I own falls into three categories:
1) My ex- got to pick it after a drawn out disagreement about what style to get in which I finally gave up (in one case it took us an entire year to finally purchase a kitchen table and chairs.) All of this furniture is large and was extremely expensive; not just something I should haul down to the junk yard, although part of me wishes I had the truck and manpower to do just that.
2) Family gave it to me (old, not in very good condition) with the stipulation that I can never get rid of it or sell it, or
3) I needed something after the divorce (couch, chairs), so I just got whatever I could get that week on Craigslist.

I really don't like the style at all of any of the furniture.  I never have. It seems like such a minor, petty thing, but now it is really bothering me.  The divorce was years ago, but I still have these things I don't want for lack of an easy substitute. I do know what I would like instead, but the thrifty in me resists spending the money.

My responses to your furniture problem:
1. Sell the ex-purchased furniture. Replace as needed with furniture you like.
2. If you like it, fix it up. If you don't like it, tell the family that unless they take it back by x date, you will dispose of it as you see fit. You're not keeping it.
3. Sell on Craigslist, replace as needed with furniture you like.

Take money earned from selling said furniture and use it to buy stuff that you like and need.

I also deal with the family piece. In my case, I don't take anything from family that I don't actually want, so I head it off at the beginning. However, eventually my sister and I will be stuck with a lot of stuff from our parent's house that neither wants. Family will have an opportunity to take what they want. The rest will be disposed of in some manner.


Yes , I agree. this is an excellent solution . its a much better feeling to have items you really enjoy . when I divorced, I only took the furniture I really love - all of which is stuff I had picked out and purchased (or had been handed down from family) pre-marriage. the stuff we purchased together was always more his style (and his idea in the first place. e.g. 2 leather sofas -really nice actually but totally extravagant IMO totaling $7000 , and we paid off in PAYMENTS! , plus so much interest. bad idea). Anyway, its great to have only pieces I love :) .

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1520 on: April 28, 2015, 10:32:31 AM »
How do you deal with sentimental things, from relatives?  I have a lot of random items like delicate handkerchiefs from my deceased grandmother (or great grandmother), which I've had since I was about 10, but never use.  I find it very hard to purge sentimental items so those are the things that tend to clutter up my drawers, cabinets and closets.


Common Cents- I have received SO many things from relatives, I only brought home those which I love. It can be hard tp let go of items that have sentimental value, but knowing that their memory lives on in you, not the item is helpful- or maybe keeping one small item from each relative (something special).
I do a lot of sewing , so I use all the lace, needlepoint, embroideries that I especially love , in my quilting and other projects . That way they are saved and in new form :) .

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1521 on: April 28, 2015, 11:40:42 AM »
Thanks, all, for the selling suggestion. That is what I need to do with the stuff from the ex. It will be a hassle, but it needs to happen. The Craigslist stuff probably just needs to be donated or free-cycled.

The family stuff is another can of worms entirely. My aunt foisted some of this on me and she is the one who has this "it has to stay in the family" mentality.  She stored it in her garage for years. She convinced me to take some of it, mostly because we had the room and it "matched" the other gigantic dark antique-looking stuff my ex had picked out. I paid to have these things moved several states and restored (fixed, refinished, reupholstered, etc.) Now I'm realizing it's all just too big, impractical, and not my style. One of the reasons that I have such a big house now is that I had to find a house that had a big enough dining area for the enormous table, for example.

Last year I tried at a family reunion to get one of her sons, or anyone in the family, to take the large dining room table and chairs.  Nobody wanted anything to do with it. I said to her that I am moving to a smaller place and just really won't have room for it. I'm happy to keep the stuff in the family, but no one wants any of it. With great exasperation she said "Well I supposed I can take back that table, chairs and the serving dishes and all of the table linens of various sizes that go with it." Those linens were nasty, threadbare, yellowed and stained with at least a hundred years of gravy stains when she gave them to me, and she seriously thinks that I still have them? In any event, she's four states away.  I'm not paying to move this stuff back to her. Sibley, I might have to take your advice, but it will not go over well.

Please let this be a lesson to all of us not to put the strings of guilt on items we gift to people. If you really don't want someone to ever sell or dispose of something you give them, then just keep it.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1522 on: April 28, 2015, 01:08:20 PM »
Reading the comments from Erica and others has been eye-opening.  I rent an 800 sq. ft. apartment so I don't have the problem of feeling like we have too much space, but it is helping me to realize how little space we need as a family to be happy, when we do finally settle in one place.  When we look to buy a house, I will know how much space we realistically want and that is a great feeling.
You've also been helping me to realize why I've been getting happier and feeling lighter as I declutter.  In many ways, I'm letting go of my aspirational self.  Am I the kind of person who wears clothes like that?  No, I'm not, and I'm just fine with it.  I like to knit and crochet, and I've been doing them since I was 9 so I feel like that's part of my personality, to be a crafter.  But do I actually make enough time for it to justify all the half-finished projects and the yarns and fabrics waiting for me to get around to them?  No, I don't.  It's so freeing to let go of those projects which, realistically, I will never get around to.  I've given myself permission to let go, and the lightness I feel is the weight of my own self-expectations dropping away.
Because I packed up to give away the projects I realized I'd never do, or the yarn with no specific project in mind to begin with, I actually completed one small project.  I turned two stained, ripped old t-shirts into nightgowns for my daughter.  :)  Non-useful items were turned into useful items, and now I don't need to buy summer jammies for my daughter.  Additional bonus: midnight diaper changes are ridiculously easy.

We've reached the chapter entitled "In which we can reach the baby's closet".  A couple of items will be headed to the dump next time I need to drive somewhere, but some of the cleaning was simply because I packed up items from that closet.  People who brew beer, where do you keep all the stuff?  My husband does and he really enjoys it but I'm finding that it's really not a space-efficient hobby.  So many bottles need to be kept, and in a small space like ours, it's been taking up most of the space in my daughter's closet.  Even with the clearing out of our kitchen, we don't have space there to keep it, nor do we have the right size of shelves for the giant pot and whatnot.  So where do you keep your beer-making supplies?  I'd like to come up with a better solution for wherever we end up.

Am trying to decide if I should try to get Marie Kondo's book here (we leave the state in about a month, and might be leaving our town before that) or wait until we get to where we're moving.  Apply her principles so that we don't move as much, or realize that I probably won't have time to get through the book before we go?

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1523 on: April 28, 2015, 01:38:29 PM »
And another thing struck me that I had to really pause and process: I do not want most of the furniture in my house. Pretty much all furniture I own falls into three categories:
1) My ex- got to pick it after a drawn out disagreement about what style to get in which I finally gave up (in one case it took us an entire year to finally purchase a kitchen table and chairs.) All of this furniture is large and was extremely expensive; not just something I should haul down to the junk yard, although part of me wishes I had the truck and manpower to do just that.
2) Family gave it to me (old, not in very good condition) with the stipulation that I can never get rid of it or sell it, or
3) I needed something after the divorce (couch, chairs), so I just got whatever I could get that week on Craigslist.
I agree with the other suggestions to just sell/donate/toss these huge, bulky items that surround you. You do not need them. Like, literally, you could sit on the floor until you find something you love at a price you are comfortable with. If people think that's weird, they can take you shopping on their dime. Screw 'em.

Quote from: Zamboni
Last year I tried at a family reunion to get one of her sons, or anyone in the family, to take the large dining room table and chairs.  Nobody wanted anything to do with it. I...Please let this be a lesson to all of us not to put the strings of guilt on items we gift to people. If you really don't want someone to ever sell or dispose of something you give them, then just keep it.
Your aunt is being unreasonable. She is coercing you with guilt to be her free storage unit so she doesn't have to deal with the guilt over letting these items go. Honestly? Not your problem. I'd give her a deadline to pick the items up, have them packed and delivered to her (on her dime) or have them transferred to a storage unit she pays for. It's unreasonable for these ghosts of family guilt past to take up residence in your home. Time to evict them. Bon courage!!!

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1524 on: April 28, 2015, 02:34:27 PM »
And another thing struck me that I had to really pause and process: I do not want most of the furniture in my house. Pretty much all furniture I own falls into three categories:
1) My ex- got to pick it after a drawn out disagreement about what style to get in which I finally gave up (in one case it took us an entire year to finally purchase a kitchen table and chairs.) All of this furniture is large and was extremely expensive; not just something I should haul down to the junk yard, although part of me wishes I had the truck and manpower to do just that.
2) Family gave it to me (old, not in very good condition) with the stipulation that I can never get rid of it or sell it, or
3) I needed something after the divorce (couch, chairs), so I just got whatever I could get that week on Craigslist.
I agree with the other suggestions to just sell/donate/toss these huge, bulky items that surround you. You do not need them. Like, literally, you could sit on the floor until you find something you love at a price you are comfortable with. If people think that's weird, they can take you shopping on their dime. Screw 'em.

Quote from: Zamboni
Last year I tried at a family reunion to get one of her sons, or anyone in the family, to take the large dining room table and chairs.  Nobody wanted anything to do with it. I...Please let this be a lesson to all of us not to put the strings of guilt on items we gift to people. If you really don't want someone to ever sell or dispose of something you give them, then just keep it.
Your aunt is being unreasonable. She is coercing you with guilt to be her free storage unit so she doesn't have to deal with the guilt over letting these items go. Honestly? Not your problem. I'd give her a deadline to pick the items up, have them packed and delivered to her (on her dime) or have them transferred to a storage unit she pays for. It's unreasonable for these ghosts of family guilt past to take up residence in your home. Time to evict them. Bon courage!!!


Great advice on both IMO.

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1525 on: April 28, 2015, 02:55:53 PM »
Thanks, all, for the selling suggestion. That is what I need to do with the stuff from the ex. It will be a hassle, but it needs to happen. The Craigslist stuff probably just needs to be donated or free-cycled.

The family stuff is another can of worms entirely. My aunt foisted some of this on me and she is the one who has this "it has to stay in the family" mentality.  She stored it in her garage for years. She convinced me to take some of it, mostly because we had the room and it "matched" the other gigantic dark antique-looking stuff my ex had picked out. I paid to have these things moved several states and restored (fixed, refinished, reupholstered, etc.) Now I'm realizing it's all just too big, impractical, and not my style. One of the reasons that I have such a big house now is that I had to find a house that had a big enough dining area for the enormous table, for example.

Last year I tried at a family reunion to get one of her sons, or anyone in the family, to take the large dining room table and chairs.  Nobody wanted anything to do with it. I said to her that I am moving to a smaller place and just really won't have room for it. I'm happy to keep the stuff in the family, but no one wants any of it. With great exasperation she said "Well I supposed I can take back that table, chairs and the serving dishes and all of the table linens of various sizes that go with it." Those linens were nasty, threadbare, yellowed and stained with at least a hundred years of gravy stains when she gave them to me, and she seriously thinks that I still have them? In any event, she's four states away.  I'm not paying to move this stuff back to her. Sibley, I might have to take your advice, but it will not go over well.

Please let this be a lesson to all of us not to put the strings of guilt on items we gift to people. If you really don't want someone to ever sell or dispose of something you give them, then just keep it.

And I think we can have a takeaway too, not to accept items that come with strings.  The aforementioned ex items?  After he left me to move to London in a 3 week time period, we originally discussed and agreed upon a "short term" and "long term" loan items.  These were things I'd hold onto for a short bit till he came back from London in less than a year versus much longer.  After he went crazy and got pissed that I gave away a few empty boxes we jointly had to a friend who was moving, that friend pointed out that this was a really bad idea to remain connected like this, particularly if something happened to my ex's stuff.  [At the time, I just knew he moved to London to be with the girl he met on the business trip, which was enough reason not to stay connected.  I didn't know then he had lied about basic life details such as the houses he showed me he grew up in or the high school he attended or how he did.  And he hadn't yet cheated on his wife with the wife of his best man.]  I ended up buying a bunch of the furniture from him instead.  Strings in any format are not good.  I've now turned down other items that have come with strings, and I've done better on giving away items string-free.

handsnhearts

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1526 on: April 28, 2015, 08:51:25 PM »
I think it is very telling that so many of us have such emotional issues with getting rid of things.  There are lots of layers attached to items.  It is freeing to let them go, but it is not always easy.  Some people are naturally less attached to objects or don't feel the guilt and the weight of these things.  I'm so glad we are talking about it on this thread. 

I also have about 3 huge boxes of linens and hand embroidered hankies from my grandma and great grandma.  I like these things, but I am not caring for them appropriately because I have too much of my own unfinished business lying about. 

On the plus side, I finished going through my closet today.  I got rid of a pile, with my non-sentimental sister's help.  She will keep helping me once I move too, so that will help overall.  I still need to go through the craft stuff, and papers, never ending less than there used to be papers...

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1527 on: April 29, 2015, 08:53:23 AM »
Reading the comments from Erica and others has been eye-opening.  I rent an 800 sq. ft. apartment so I don't have the problem of feeling like we have too much space, but it is helping me to realize how little space we need as a family to be happy, when we do finally settle in one place.  When we look to buy a house, I will know how much space we realistically want and that is a great feeling.
You've also been helping me to realize why I've been getting happier and feeling lighter as I declutter.  In many ways, I'm letting go of my aspirational self.  Am I the kind of person who wears clothes like that?  No, I'm not, and I'm just fine with it.  I like to knit and crochet, and I've been doing them since I was 9 so I feel like that's part of my personality, to be a crafter.  But do I actually make enough time for it to justify all the half-finished projects and the yarns and fabrics waiting for me to get around to them?  No, I don't.  It's so freeing to let go of those projects which, realistically, I will never get around to.  I've given myself permission to let go, and the lightness I feel is the weight of my own self-expectations dropping away.
Because I packed up to give away the projects I realized I'd never do, or the yarn with no specific project in mind to begin with, I actually completed one small project.  I turned two stained, ripped old t-shirts into nightgowns for my daughter.  :)  Non-useful items were turned into useful items, and now I don't need to buy summer jammies for my daughter.  Additional bonus: midnight diaper changes are ridiculously easy.

We've reached the chapter entitled "In which we can reach the baby's closet".  A couple of items will be headed to the dump next time I need to drive somewhere, but some of the cleaning was simply because I packed up items from that closet.  People who brew beer, where do you keep all the stuff?  My husband does and he really enjoys it but I'm finding that it's really not a space-efficient hobby.  So many bottles need to be kept, and in a small space like ours, it's been taking up most of the space in my daughter's closet.  Even with the clearing out of our kitchen, we don't have space there to keep it, nor do we have the right size of shelves for the giant pot and whatnot.  So where do you keep your beer-making supplies?  I'd like to come up with a better solution for wherever we end up.

Am trying to decide if I should try to get Marie Kondo's book here (we leave the state in about a month, and might be leaving our town before that) or wait until we get to where we're moving.  Apply her principles so that we don't move as much, or realize that I probably won't have time to get through the book before we go?
We homebrew too, but wine.  It does take up a good bit of space.  We have a fruit cellar in the basement and about half of the shelves are full of empty bottles and other supplies.  Then the current brewing space is under my sewing table next to the heating vent to keep the yeast warm and happy (for winter only of course).  Other than that we have 1 drawer full of things like corks and labels.

If we were in an apartment I could easily see how an entire closet would be taken up with brewing equipment.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1528 on: April 29, 2015, 08:55:59 AM »
Okay, I have a question for those who've been there.  I stupidly saved almost all of my college textbooks, and at this point not only do I not need them but they are badly out of date.  I graduated in 2001 in science, lots of things have changed in the biological sciences since then, so these books are for the most part worth nothing.

So, what can I do with them?  They are too heavy for the trash bags, I don't think our recycling center takes them...

Ideas please?

grantmeaname

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1529 on: April 29, 2015, 09:04:46 AM »
They're still probably worth a couple bucks each. Idk if you could compost them but if you brought everything to half-price books you could walk out with $20 or so.

Cookie78

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1530 on: April 29, 2015, 09:13:17 AM »
I'm going through decluttering withdrawal! I've been doing so great the first 3 months of the year and stopped in April to deal with the remainder of the donate pile in the middle of the living room. Now I'm going on vacation in a couple days, so I haven't posted anything new on kijiji or started going through any new areas of the house.

I am looking forward to coming home from vacation so I can start decluttering again!

Also I found out there is a clothing swap coming up soon after I get back. I used to be excited to find some cute, new, and free clothing to wear. Now I'm just excited to have an reason to clean out my closet a little more and get rid of more things!

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1531 on: April 29, 2015, 09:16:11 AM »
Okay, I have a question for those who've been there.  I stupidly saved almost all of my college textbooks, and at this point not only do I not need them but they are badly out of date.  I graduated in 2001 in science, lots of things have changed in the biological sciences since then, so these books are for the most part worth nothing.

So, what can I do with them?  They are too heavy for the trash bags, I don't think our recycling center takes them...

Ideas please?

I donated to a local organization.  Look around and you should be able to find someone that will take it.  I also gave away a few.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1532 on: April 29, 2015, 09:21:50 AM »
Last year I tried at a family reunion to get one of her sons, or anyone in the family, to take the large dining room table and chairs.  Nobody wanted anything to do with it. I said to her that I am moving to a smaller place and just really won't have room for it. I'm happy to keep the stuff in the family, but no one wants any of it. With great exasperation she said "Well I supposed I can take back that table, chairs and the serving dishes and all of the table linens of various sizes that go with it." Those linens were nasty, threadbare, yellowed and stained with at least a hundred years of gravy stains when she gave them to me, and she seriously thinks that I still have them? In any event, she's four states away.  I'm not paying to move this stuff back to her. Sibley, I might have to take your advice, but it will not go over well.

Please let this be a lesson to all of us not to put the strings of guilt on items we gift to people. If you really don't want someone to ever sell or dispose of something you give them, then just keep it.

If she wants it, then she can pay to ship it. If no one else in the family wants it, then dispose of it in whatever way you choose and just don't mention it. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. If you live 4 states away, I'm guessing she doesn't ever visit your house. And, good luck to whoever gets to deal with her belongings when she passes.


Zaga

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1533 on: April 29, 2015, 09:27:49 AM »
They're still probably worth a couple bucks each. Idk if you could compost them but if you brought everything to half-price books you could walk out with $20 or so.
The closest one to me is about 45 minutes, but it's near a friend's house so the next time I go see her I'll try taking in the books.  I don't really care at this point, just want them out of my house!

CommonCents, I'll also look into local organizations or perhaps homeschool groups.  At least the chemistry books should be useful for something like that.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1534 on: April 29, 2015, 09:30:52 AM »
They're still probably worth a couple bucks each. Idk if you could compost them but if you brought everything to half-price books you could walk out with $20 or so.
The closest one to me is about 45 minutes, but it's near a friend's house so the next time I go see her I'll try taking in the books.  I don't really care at this point, just want them out of my house!

CommonCents, I'll also look into local organizations or perhaps homeschool groups.  At least the chemistry books should be useful for something like that.

If you remove the binding, the recycling may take them. You'd have to ask. But outdated technical books aren't wanted often.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1535 on: April 29, 2015, 11:15:07 AM »
EricaNW's sub thread really hit home.  This house is too big for me, and I knew it when I bought it, but it was the best out of a limited choice when I left my ex.  Now I am retired I don't need the 3rd bedroom that is my office, and DD's bedroom is storage more than bedroom.  Yet I love my gardens and the space for the dog to run. And the neighbourhood. And the stuff in the house?  A lot is hand-me-downs - some I love, some I don't, and the rest is from garage sales when I had literally almost no money after I split.  If I were to move a long distance, I could send 90% of it to an estate sale auction and not miss it.

There are times I feel like parts of my life are still on hold.  I can't declare this house as my principal residence (so no capital gains when I sell it) in the same calendar year as I sell the matrimonial home, so am tied to this house until 2016 (assuming the matrimonial home sells, if you believe in prayer please pray for me).  And then I have to figure out what I want (what I don't want has become pretty clear) and go for it.

I did MarieKono's declutter on clothes and it did make a difference - if only in that it is a lot easier to put clean clothes away now.  Lots more to do, and of course now that gardening season is starting I don't want to be inside, I want to be out decluttering weeds and volunteer trees in the wrong place and doing planting and things.

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1536 on: April 29, 2015, 11:51:49 AM »
To provide hope, despair, and entertainment, I found this blog online about a couple who bought a hoarder's home and their cleanup/renovations. It's a view into a world that is foreign to me, and I find it fascinating. I'm hoping that no one here is dealing with this amount of stuff, so remember, this could be your house!

http://brickhouse319.com/

SisterX

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1537 on: April 29, 2015, 12:21:47 PM »

We homebrew too, but wine.  It does take up a good bit of space.  We have a fruit cellar in the basement and about half of the shelves are full of empty bottles and other supplies.  Then the current brewing space is under my sewing table next to the heating vent to keep the yeast warm and happy (for winter only of course).  Other than that we have 1 drawer full of things like corks and labels.

If we were in an apartment I could easily see how an entire closet would be taken up with brewing equipment.

Thanks for the reply!  I was looking in the closet again and realized that we actually would have plenty of room if my husband would finally clear out the "keepsake" boxes he filled up after high school and hasn't looked at since.  99% of what's in those boxes will be tossed, I'm sure, before we move.
Also, one whole box of beer bottles will either be recycled or given to a friend who brews, and we do have a box of homebrew which my husband set aside to gift to people.  So, more bottles that we won't actually be keeping, thus more space.
Last night my husband, after having been away for almost a week, noted that our apartment seemed cleaner and so much bigger, but said that other than my packed up books, he couldn't really tell what I'd done.  I said, "Isn't that sad?  We had so much stuff that we didn't really notice or care about it!"  That thought has made me re-think my book strategy, too.  Until now I've thought, of course I'll keep all my books!  They're books, they're wonderful!  But...some of them were good to read once but I'll never read them again.  Others I've kept not because I even enjoyed them, but because I studied them in school and it reminds me of that and how much I learned.  Others I've kept because they're "smart" books, frankly.  (That makes me cringe to admit!)  So, the ones I don't love are going to be culled.  No sense in dragging them across the continent if I didn't truly connect with their stories.

Cookie78

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1538 on: April 29, 2015, 12:28:12 PM »
To provide hope, despair, and entertainment, I found this blog online about a couple who bought a hoarder's home and their cleanup/renovations. It's a view into a world that is foreign to me, and I find it fascinating. I'm hoping that no one here is dealing with this amount of stuff, so remember, this could be your house!

http://brickhouse319.com/

That is insane!

When I was buying my first house I looked at one that was similar, though not as bad and it hadn't expanded outdoors yet. I just assumed whoever was selling the house would take all their stuff. Now I wonder. I didn't buy it for many reasons, but one of them was because I couldn't actually see much of the house due to boxes.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1539 on: April 29, 2015, 02:06:13 PM »
To provide hope, despair, and entertainment, I found this blog online about a couple who bought a hoarder's home and their cleanup/renovations. It's a view into a world that is foreign to me, and I find it fascinating. I'm hoping that no one here is dealing with this amount of stuff, so remember, this could be your house!

http://brickhouse319.com/

That is insane!

When I was buying my first house I looked at one that was similar, though not as bad and it hadn't expanded outdoors yet. I just assumed whoever was selling the house would take all their stuff. Now I wonder. I didn't buy it for many reasons, but one of them was because I couldn't actually see much of the house due to boxes.

It's like a train wreck. I'm horrified, but I'll also be watching with morbid fascination as the story progresses...

Practical Magic

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1540 on: April 29, 2015, 02:54:35 PM »
I empathize with those of you dealing with family guilt. My parents are in their 70s and both are hoarders. Even worse, they're divorced so there will be two properties to clean up at some point. At least I've already sold the excess "heirlooms" which had been given to me over the years. I finally decided I didn't want to be a museum curator for my aunt and grandma's dolls which I've been responsible for since I was a kid. Enough already.

Has anyone seen the movie Clutter (on Amazon Prime)? It's exactly the scenario we're taking about... the family home overloaded with stuff and no one's allowed to throw anything away. Funny film.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 02:57:45 PM by Practical Magic »

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1541 on: April 29, 2015, 03:11:34 PM »
To provide hope, despair, and entertainment, I found this blog online about a couple who bought a hoarder's home and their cleanup/renovations. It's a view into a world that is foreign to me, and I find it fascinating. I'm hoping that no one here is dealing with this amount of stuff, so remember, this could be your house!

http://brickhouse319.com/
Ho-leeeeeee shit, man.

Zamboni

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1542 on: April 29, 2015, 03:58:19 PM »
Ha ha, I feel better already just looking at the bins in the yard.  I haven't even had to scroll down to read about what they found inside the house.

Practical Magic

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1543 on: April 29, 2015, 05:32:49 PM »
It sure makes me never want to buy another Rubbermaid bin! It's no wonder our oceans are full of plastic, if there are people like this out there causing a false demand for its manufacture. And as I said, my own parents (dad in particular) are hoarders. My mom would call herself a collector. ~Did you read that the hoarder in the brick house wasn't even living there? He's been living in another house for the past four years and just periodically goes there to get his mail. I guess after you've filled up a house, basement and bunker, it's time to move.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 06:20:57 PM by Practical Magic »

handsnhearts

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1544 on: April 29, 2015, 06:26:07 PM »
That house is crazy!!!!  Wow!  Just wow!  I have a clutterbug tendency, but I would never get to that.  There are 2 hoarders on my street, well there were.  They were 2 old guys (80's) and they lived across the street from each other for 40+ years.  One was obvious because he hoards in the front yard now.  But one day I saw him hanging out with the guy across the street, and his garage was open, and I realized he hoarded too!  Then I saw them walking the neighborhood, scrounging in the trashcans on trash day, and carrying stuff out of a pickup truck into the stuffed garage.  Sadly, the one with the garage died a couple months ago from mold intoxication.  The police couldn't get in the house and he was dead for several days before anyone knew.  I have since spoken to his SIL and she said he lived there with his mother until she died 25 years ago, and it got really bad after that.  I know the other guy has a son in the area who comes by every once in a while, but he seems like a jerk.  I guess if people get to live how they want, but really I don't think people want to live like that, it just becomes normalized after a while.  Very sad. 

The master composter in me just kept thinking of all the worm bins those Rubbermaid bins could be...

handsnhearts

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1545 on: April 29, 2015, 06:33:47 PM »
Oh! 
Finished going through my closet!  (Except jackets, but there are only a few and I'm keeping them as I am moving to a climate that needs a jacket.  I'll go through them next spring).  My sis, who was an organizer and declutterer as a child!, helped me get rid of some work clothes that fit, but just don't make me happy or feel comfortable.  I have a hard time getting rid of something useful like that, and MMM has made this worse, not better, because now I feel like I shouldn't buy a new one if I got rid of a perfectly good one.  I do shop at thrift stores, and have for most of my life, but now I find new clothes are easier to buy because of fit issues.  And lack of time to browse.  And a desire to be more fashionable and current, which can be hit or miss in thrifting.  And I hate the fast fashion industry and what it does to the environment and the people who make it, and the people who buy it (something is wrong with you that can only be fixed by buying this thing that will make you different and socially acceptable), and our environment too!

I like to sew, and that comes back to the time/effort issue too...and it is not always super affordable.

But I finished my closet!  Yeah!  And I got rid of a bunch of things.  I think I might go count them for scale!

Now if I could just put things away...And do the shoes.

I've decided I'm having a yard sale in 2 weeks. 

Oh and I pulled the leftover wax from the tealight candles I was saving and put it in my wax jar and recycled the aluminum cases.  About 20.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 06:36:39 PM by handsnhearts »

RetiredAt63

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1546 on: April 29, 2015, 07:59:07 PM »
I read the whole thing.  The pictures . . . .

I looked at the bins and thought - composters, worm bins, bins for washing fleeces, so many uses.  At least they put stuff out and it was well disposed of.

The master composter in me just kept thinking of all the worm bins those Rubbermaid bins could be...

jordanread

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1547 on: April 30, 2015, 07:14:35 AM »
Rubbermaid containers are the source of my issues lately, but learning to let go is quite powerful. I'm still well on the way with decluttering and cleaning stuff up. Managed to get rid a lot of stuff so far, and only really have stuff that I use. Cords are still my biggest issue, along with the crap in my Storage Unit (which will be gone within a month or two, now that I freed up some driveway space).

Great comments from just about everyone so far. Keep it up!!

MMMaybe

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1548 on: April 30, 2015, 10:57:09 PM »
Two more bags of tatty clothes ready to go to H & M for recycling. A bag of bed linen went out the door (to charity) earlier this week.

The good thing about living in a developing country like the Philippines is that it super easy to get rid of anything. There is always such a need for household goods and clothes that you can have them sent to a worthy cause pretty much immediately.

Seeing all this need around me has also lessened my attachment to Stuff. It is hard to justify keeping things just in case I need them one day, when there are so many people who could use them TODAY.

Plus people recycle pretty much anything, which is helping me be a bit more mindful about casually throwing stuff out, that still has a useful life somewhere.

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1549 on: April 30, 2015, 11:39:51 PM »
There is this pair of purple pants. Many people have told me they love these pants. They are still in perfect condition even thougth ive had them for a few years, because they are a quality pair. But I cannot stand these pants!!! I loath them and avoid them when I get dressed each morning. So I donated them yesterday:) . I feel better & someone will appreciate them at last.