Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1850062 times)

Prodigal Daughter

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3100 on: January 28, 2016, 10:36:34 AM »
If you just want to get rid of them, you might be able to sell the lot for $300-500 if it's really worth $1500.
Just quick and gone.

Hmm, maybe that's the way to go! Good suggestion!

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3101 on: January 28, 2016, 12:51:32 PM »
I seem to always keep a bag in the entry way to fill with random bits to donate. I'm looking forward to the day when I don't have this.

Or does that day never come?
For me it hasn't arrived yet, just because I'm now SO picky about what I let into the house. So though I don't buy things, and I try not to accept freebies wherever possible, gifts are my personal bugbear.

We enjoy entertaining, and unless it's wine, sorry, I'm going to donate it. Christmas, birthdays, people just visiting for drinks and bringing a pot holder, a cute coffee mug etc. Sorry, none of it is coming in.

So unless I start refusing well-intentioned gifts (can't see that happening) I think I'll always have the 'donate' box ready and waiting. The difference is that I'm not 'finding' things to go in it from around the house, they are being given to me, and I won't let them 'into the house' in the first place.

the last couple of years, family knows what to give me that i will keep and enjoy (i would prefer no gifts but family is not on board- some of us are, but not my parents at all). so i am mostly receiving cash, giftcards, and a couple things i like (by now they know i am very very picky is regards to clothing and jewelry). everything else i tend to regift, mostly to coworkers or i donate. and am happy for my "gift" of tax writeoffs. i would never tell anyone i dont like their gifts, that is hurtful, and i always thank with a smile BEFORE even opening gifts, because they are family and friends and they deserve a loving responce imo.

anyway, at this point i feel good about what i have, and dont bring much new into the house, excepting necessities and the clothing castoffs from my coworkers that i am grateful for (and they fit and are stylish) because i dont have to buy hardly any clothing ever!

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3102 on: January 28, 2016, 06:29:52 PM »
Got rid of a plastic grocery bag full of underused winter hats and gloves.  Wife is taking them to donation bin at school.   More stuff out of the house and going to someone who can hopefully make use of them!

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3103 on: January 29, 2016, 02:38:48 PM »
ZiziPB you are inspiring me. I wish I had the selling DNA but I seem to have a belief that it is too overwhelming.

I have broken my plan into weekly steps which include repairing three things a week. I emptied out two closets this week to examine old stuff and got rid of some and made notes on how to repair the rest. Some days it is exciting, others it is tiring.  Today it seems tiring, because I have things sitting out in piles and there is no sense of completion. I need to focus on the joys of clear spaces.

Noralenderbee, hello again.


Prodigal Daughter

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3104 on: January 29, 2016, 03:04:28 PM »
I'm counting down the minutes (57) until I can leave work, go home, and continue my closet clear out. Then my goal for Saturday morning is to bring the large bags of stuff I have collected to the thrift store.

I cannot believe I got rid of MANY garbage bags of things this summer and still have a few shopping bags of stuff to go out now.

But parting with things isn't the problem for me, actually loading them up and taking them someplace is. :-P

couponvan

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3105 on: January 29, 2016, 03:34:56 PM »
But parting with things isn't the problem for me, actually loading them up and taking them someplace is. :-P

Get yourself on a list for Goodwill or one of the other organizations that will pick up from your house.  I have Amvets coming on the 2nd! I just leave it on the porch and they give me a receipt when they pick up. I too have trouble getting my lazy butt in the car.

Prodigal Daughter

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3106 on: January 29, 2016, 03:41:16 PM »
But parting with things isn't the problem for me, actually loading them up and taking them someplace is. :-P

Get yourself on a list for Goodwill or one of the other organizations that will pick up from your house.  I have Amvets coming on the 2nd! I just leave it on the porch and they give me a receipt when they pick up. I too have trouble getting my lazy butt in the car.

I'll look into that! Thanks!

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3107 on: January 29, 2016, 05:34:21 PM »
I'm counting down the minutes (57) until I can leave work, go home, and continue my closet clear out. Then my goal for Saturday morning is to bring the large bags of stuff I have collected to the thrift store.

I cannot believe I got rid of MANY garbage bags of things this summer and still have a few shopping bags of stuff to go out now.

But parting with things isn't the problem for me, actually loading them up and taking them someplace is. :-P

yes, it becomes fun doesn't it? but mostly, such a great feeling of accomplishment and spaciousness!

Prodigal Daughter

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3108 on: January 30, 2016, 07:58:59 AM »
6 pairs of shoes, 8 pieces of clothing, 4 scarves, and four already full bags of stuff waiting to be donated!

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3109 on: January 30, 2016, 09:04:16 AM »
I am going to drop off another small batch of stuff at the consignment store at lunchtime today.  Hopefully, I have some money in the account so that I can pick up a check from them :-) Done - got a check for $80

Tossed some random old unused greeting cards into recycling this morning. 

Plan of attack for this week:
- go through hats and scarves - I have way too many... Done - getting rid of 7 scarves and 2 hats.  The sad part is that it barely made a dent in my scraf/shawl collection.
- do another sweep through the kitchen cupboards Made a half-hearted attempt at this - tossed one plastic container into recycling...  Need to do more. Went through the meds that I keep in one of the kitchen cupboards - got rid of anything expired or not likely to be used again
- go through my knitting supplies, books and yarns and consolidate into two plastic bins Done - tossed a lot of patterns I had printed out.  Figured out my next two knitting projects.  Bins are ready to go upstairs.
- find room for said bins in the walk in closet
- sort through skiing clothing (there are things there that I'm sure don't fit me any more... and it is another bin that needs to go upstairs)
- organize condo documents - toss anything not needed Done.  Also went through two drawers that hold office things, stationery, etc. and tossed a bunch of stuff.  Made room for the [now organized] condo documents.
- sort through CDs (a good number of them need to go back to my ex) - I'm hoping to reduce the number of CDs I have by half

That should keep me busy enough through the weekend :-)



Keeping at it this morning :-)  Now I'm going to clean the bathrooms and the kitchen and vacuum.  Planning to tackles the rest of the declutter list this afternoon.

Edited to fix the plural of kitchens - I only have one kitchen ;-)
« Last Edit: January 30, 2016, 09:50:51 AM by ZiziPB »

rubybeth

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3110 on: January 30, 2016, 09:11:45 AM »
Haven't been to this thread before, but DH and I read through "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" last weekend and started our Marie Kondo inspired clean out this weekend, yesterday beginning with with clothes, subset tops. So far, three bags of tops we are going to donate. Today's task is pants. The whole konmari method seems to really make sense for both DH and I, for a variety of reasons, but the main one for me is that, if something sparks joy for him, I am much happier with him keeping it/storing it. For myself, I am more likely to get rid of things that I don't wear or enjoy anymore, but DH grew up in a household where you didn't throw things away because they might be useful at some point. In our one bedroom apartment and with our savings, I've tried to remind him that we don't have space to store things and if he needs to replace, he can feel free to spend the money, but that hasn't worked in the nearly 8 years we've been married. But he freely gave up a whole bag of shirts yesterday, even thanking some of the more sentimental objects for their service (I think this method is especially charming because my DH did study abroad in Japan so some of the cultural references make sense to him). Magic!

FunkyStickman

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3111 on: January 30, 2016, 10:34:14 AM »
Wife dropped off 8 bags of clothes and 2 boxes of books to Goodwill today.

Prodigal Daughter

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3112 on: January 30, 2016, 12:35:09 PM »
Haven't been to this thread before, but DH and I read through "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" last weekend and started our Marie Kondo inspired clean out this weekend, yesterday beginning with with clothes, subset tops. So far, three bags of tops we are going to donate. Today's task is pants. The whole konmari method seems to really make sense for both DH and I, for a variety of reasons, but the main one for me is that, if something sparks joy for him, I am much happier with him keeping it/storing it. For myself, I am more likely to get rid of things that I don't wear or enjoy anymore, but DH grew up in a household where you didn't throw things away because they might be useful at some point. In our one bedroom apartment and with our savings, I've tried to remind him that we don't have space to store things and if he needs to replace, he can feel free to spend the money, but that hasn't worked in the nearly 8 years we've been married. But he freely gave up a whole bag of shirts yesterday, even thanking some of the more sentimental objects for their service (I think this method is especially charming because my DH did study abroad in Japan so some of the cultural references make sense to him). Magic!

I love the idea of seeing your DH thanking his items. :) But no, really, the book helped me as well. I was holding on to things like old bridesmaid dresses because they were special event items, but really, what is the point? I finally donated them all. Then this summer my mom showed up with about 10 dresses from my childhood. What the hell am I supposed to do with those? I'm going to first see if my sister or SIL wants them for her girls to play dress up, but then out they go!
« Last Edit: January 30, 2016, 04:31:41 PM by Prodigal Daughter »

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3113 on: January 30, 2016, 01:16:30 PM »
I am going to drop off another small batch of stuff at the consignment store at lunchtime today.  Hopefully, I have some money in the account so that I can pick up a check from them :-) Done - got a check for $80

Tossed some random old unused greeting cards into recycling this morning. 

Plan of attack for this week:
- go through hats and scarves - I have way too many... Done - getting rid of 7 scarves and 2 hats.  The sad part is that it barely made a dent in my scraf/shawl collection.
- do another sweep through the kitchen cupboards Made a half-hearted attempt at this - tossed one plastic container into recycling...  Need to do more. Went through the meds that I keep in one of the kitchen cupboards - got rid of anything expired or not likely to be used again
- go through my knitting supplies, books and yarns and consolidate into two plastic bins Done - tossed a lot of patterns I had printed out.  Figured out my next two knitting projects.  Bins are ready to go upstairs.
- find room for said bins in the walk in closet Done
- sort through skiing clothing (there are things there that I'm sure don't fit me any more... and it is another bin that needs to go upstairs)And done... except that I really didn't get rid of much :-(
- organize condo documents - toss anything not needed Done.  Also went through two drawers that hold office things, stationery, etc. and tossed a bunch of stuff.  Made room for the [now organized] condo documents.
- sort through CDs (a good number of them need to go back to my ex) - I'm hoping to reduce the number of CDs I have by half

That should keep me busy enough through the weekend :-)


Keeping at it this morning :-)  Now I'm going to clean the bathrooms and the kitchen and vacuum.  Planning to tackles the rest of the declutter list this afternoon.

Edited to fix the plural of kitchens - I only have one kitchen ;-)

The bins are now in my walk in closet which looks full again.  Which I guess is good because it will give me an incentive to get rid of some more things...

Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3114 on: January 30, 2016, 02:40:24 PM »
My inner bag lady musings aside, I actually got a lot done today, including cleaning the entire house, changing sheets on two beds and doing 4 loads of laundry.  I also took down our Christmas decorations outside.  And all the decluttering above.  I'm beat.  I think the CDs will wait till tomorrow.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3115 on: January 30, 2016, 03:13:58 PM »
Lots of stuff flying out the door here today. Gave away a filing cabinet (now I have a ton of shredding to do), some binders and school supplies, sheets, towels and a recliner. The recliner really warmed my heart as it was my husband's and it had sentimental value. However, a disabled lady in a wheelchair needed one for her disabled daughter that can't sleep laying down, so I was happy to give it to her. She was so grateful. She thanked me over and over.

Someone else is supposed to be coming for a crystal whiskey decanter set tomorrow (sold for $10) that was a wedding present (30 years ago) and we never even took it out of the box.

Also threw out a bunch of old sheets and miscellaneous crap that wasn't even worth donating.

My goal is that when I eventually downsize to a condo I won't have a shit ton of stuff to deal with. I saw what my parents had to deal with. The trick is to stop more stuff coming in the door in the meantime.

Now to decide what to do with a really nice set of pots and pans that my son left here, and says he doesn't want.

Rural

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3116 on: January 30, 2016, 04:10:47 PM »
I am going to drop off another small batch of stuff at the consignment store at lunchtime today.  Hopefully, I have some money in the account so that I can pick up a check from them :-) Done - got a check for $80

Tossed some random old unused greeting cards into recycling this morning. 

Plan of attack for this week:
- go through hats and scarves - I have way too many... Done - getting rid of 7 scarves and 2 hats.  The sad part is that it barely made a dent in my scraf/shawl collection.
- do another sweep through the kitchen cupboards Made a half-hearted attempt at this - tossed one plastic container into recycling...  Need to do more. Went through the meds that I keep in one of the kitchen cupboards - got rid of anything expired or not likely to be used again
- go through my knitting supplies, books and yarns and consolidate into two plastic bins Done - tossed a lot of patterns I had printed out.  Figured out my next two knitting projects.  Bins are ready to go upstairs.
- find room for said bins in the walk in closet Done
- sort through skiing clothing (there are things there that I'm sure don't fit me any more... and it is another bin that needs to go upstairs)And done... except that I really didn't get rid of much :-(
- organize condo documents - toss anything not needed Done.  Also went through two drawers that hold office things, stationery, etc. and tossed a bunch of stuff.  Made room for the [now organized] condo documents.
- sort through CDs (a good number of them need to go back to my ex) - I'm hoping to reduce the number of CDs I have by half

That should keep me busy enough through the weekend :-)


Keeping at it this morning :-)  Now I'm going to clean the bathrooms and the kitchen and vacuum.  Planning to tackles the rest of the declutter list this afternoon.

Edited to fix the plural of kitchens - I only have one kitchen ;-)

The bins are now in my walk in closet which looks full again.  Which I guess is good because it will give me an incentive to get rid of some more things...

Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?


I don't know. It you know that you will want to have a black coat for any winter funeral that may come up, and you have such a coat now, why would you throw it out and plan to spend money later on a new one? It seems to me that's the irrational ideas and unmustachain to boot. Of course, I'm of an age that funerals are becoming more frequent, but people are also more likely to die in winter if they're ill, so...

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3117 on: January 30, 2016, 06:13:29 PM »
Thanks, Acorn & Rural, for the suggestions. I haven't worn this coat in a few years. I have a couple of other winter coats that are more comfortable for everyday wear. And I'm trying to reduce stuff in preparation for major downsizing in a couple of years. But the other coats are not dressy. I'm still undecided, I guess.

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3118 on: January 31, 2016, 03:15:19 AM »

Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?

No, I have had the same fears. I've read (a Suze Orman book maybe) that a lot of women have “bag lady syndrome".

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3119 on: January 31, 2016, 04:35:16 AM »

Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?

No, I have had the same fears. I've read (a Suze Orman book maybe) that a lot of women have “bag lady syndrome".
Good to know I'm not the only one!  I need to work on getting over these fears - any suggestions?

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3120 on: January 31, 2016, 07:03:28 AM »
I decided to stop wearing clear nail varnish so I found some more clutter to discard today. I think it is fairly pointless and my fingernails keep breaking (and I work from home!) so I will see if they improve going natural.:)


Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?

No, I have had the same fears. I've read (a Suze Orman book maybe) that a lot of women have “bag lady syndrome".
Good to know I'm not the only one!  I need to work on getting over these fears - any suggestions?

I still think about it when I wake up some nights so I'm not sure! I do try to look at it in a practical way and realise that I am very well off compared to most people in the world, I have savings in the bank, I live in a country with a good social safety net etc...

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3121 on: February 01, 2016, 07:19:54 AM »
Re: bag lady fears, I don't really experience this, so I'm lucky in that regard but I wonder if you could look for the positives in being prepared for a bad situation eg. if there is an economic downturn, you'll be more ready to move for a new job, unencumbered by stuff. You would be able to take opportunities others can't.

By not having much stuff (and bringing no more in) you are saving a lot and therefore less likely to ever be in that situation.

Each thing you get rid of makes you more resourceful and self-sufficient (eg if you only have one hat and it gets a hole, you would darn it), which would be good preparation.

And finally, hanging onto old stuff or not won't affect wether said terrible event is going to happen in the first place. You are not preventing anything bad from happening by keeping it. You are just ensuring that your life up to that point will be more stressful and draining and tiring, worsening your health, which would be the most important thing you could take into a disaster zone. I see is as kind of self-care. Making your life good and happy now puts you in the best stead for later adversity.

Oh, and also, one more moth-eaten old coat isn't going to help much, really.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3122 on: February 01, 2016, 08:31:09 AM »
Major book purge this weekend. Charity pick up is coming in a week. I had five 6 foot tall bills bookcases. They,were each 3 feet wide. I a, down to three 3-foot high and wide book shelves now. When I started the book purge several months ago it was very slow going. Now I just grab handfuls and toss them into boxes. I have a much better sense of which wants I actually want to keep. I need a few more boxes because the remaining books won't fit on the shelves, so more have to go. I ran out of boxes last night, but I can get some more today.

As a lifetime hoarder of books, a keep every book I read person, a maybe I will reread it, maybe my children will want it, maybe it will be valuable, maybe sometime I wil.have time to read it person - I am kicking butt getting rid of books.

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3123 on: February 01, 2016, 08:55:25 AM »
Re: bag lady fears, I don't really experience this, so I'm lucky in that regard but I wonder if you could look for the positives in being prepared for a bad situation eg. if there is an economic downturn, you'll be more ready to move for a new job, unencumbered by stuff. You would be able to take opportunities others can't.

By not having much stuff (and bringing no more in) you are saving a lot and therefore less likely to ever be in that situation.

Each thing you get rid of makes you more resourceful and self-sufficient (eg if you only have one hat and it gets a hole, you would darn it), which would be good preparation.

And finally, hanging onto old stuff or not won't affect wether said terrible event is going to happen in the first place. You are not preventing anything bad from happening by keeping it. You are just ensuring that your life up to that point will be more stressful and draining and tiring, worsening your health, which would be the most important thing you could take into a disaster zone. I see is as kind of self-care. Making your life good and happy now puts you in the best stead for later adversity.

Oh, and also, one more moth-eaten old coat isn't going to help much, really.

Thank you, theadvicist.  What you are saying is very reasonable and logical.  Bag lady fears are totally irrational, however, and are not easily influenced by logical thought :-)

Case in point: I logged into Fidelity yesterday to look at my accounts and for some reason my 401k was not displayed and excluded from the total number.  A brief moment of panic - what do I do?  How do I prove to anyone that I actually had a 401k?  And how can I prove what was in it? What would I ever do if, say, Fidelity told me that they have no record of my accounts?  After all, my NW is just a number displayed electronically on the screen.  What if it just disappeared one day???

As to the coat, I read a book last year about the siege of Leningrad during WWII and how the inhabitants of the city dealt with the cold and hunger.

This is all tongue in cheek of course, but you see how crazy we can drive ourselves with thoughts like that...

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3124 on: February 01, 2016, 09:20:25 AM »

Thank you, theadvicist.  What you are saying is very reasonable and logical.  Bag lady fears are totally irrational, however, and are not easily influenced by logical thought :-)

Case in point: I logged into Fidelity yesterday to look at my accounts and for some reason my 401k was not displayed and excluded from the total number.  A brief moment of panic - what do I do?  How do I prove to anyone that I actually had a 401k?  And how can I prove what was in it? What would I ever do if, say, Fidelity told me that they have no record of my accounts?  After all, my NW is just a number displayed electronically on the screen.  What if it just disappeared one day???

As to the coat, I read a book last year about the siege of Leningrad during WWII and how the inhabitants of the city dealt with the cold and hunger.

This is all tongue in cheek of course, but you see how crazy we can drive ourselves with thoughts like that...

I get what you're saying about how irrational it all is, but... the only think you can counter that with is being rational. Or maybe therapy. I'm not being facetious - I had therapy for something unrelated, and we touched on how I held onto things (for other reasons). It took some work but we reprogrammed my thinking from, "This might be useful some day!" to, "the space and the peace of mind is useful TODAY". So I was just throwing some ideas out there to see if they might hold any sway with you.

When it comes to the markets all crashing etc (and to some extent Fidelity losing all their records) I tend to think, "we're all in the sh*t anyway, so it won't make any difference", but I understand others might find that more scary than comforting! If it's just a small computer glitch, no need to worry because they will have that covered with backups etc.

Am I helping or should I shush?

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3125 on: February 01, 2016, 09:26:56 AM »

Thank you, theadvicist.  What you are saying is very reasonable and logical.  Bag lady fears are totally irrational, however, and are not easily influenced by logical thought :-)

Case in point: I logged into Fidelity yesterday to look at my accounts and for some reason my 401k was not displayed and excluded from the total number.  A brief moment of panic - what do I do?  How do I prove to anyone that I actually had a 401k?  And how can I prove what was in it? What would I ever do if, say, Fidelity told me that they have no record of my accounts?  After all, my NW is just a number displayed electronically on the screen.  What if it just disappeared one day???

As to the coat, I read a book last year about the siege of Leningrad during WWII and how the inhabitants of the city dealt with the cold and hunger.

This is all tongue in cheek of course, but you see how crazy we can drive ourselves with thoughts like that...

I get what you're saying about how irrational it all is, but... the only think you can counter that with is being rational. Or maybe therapy. I'm not being facetious - I had therapy for something unrelated, and we touched on how I held onto things (for other reasons). It took some work but we reprogrammed my thinking from, "This might be useful some day!" to, "the space and the peace of mind is useful TODAY". So I was just throwing some ideas out there to see if they might hold any sway with you.

When it comes to the markets all crashing etc (and to some extent Fidelity losing all their records) I tend to think, "we're all in the sh*t anyway, so it won't make any difference", but I understand others might find that more scary than comforting! If it's just a small computer glitch, no need to worry because they will have that covered with backups etc.

Am I helping or should I shush?

Oh, you are definitely helping!  The strange thing is that I am generally a very rational, well organized and logical problem solver, so these kinds of thoughts are totally out of character for me...  And I am not a hoarder by any means.  My house is very well organized, very neat and I know exactly where everything is. Yet, sometimes I hit a wall with some things...

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3126 on: February 01, 2016, 02:21:58 PM »
I will admit to having regrets about donating quite a few of my books, but still can rent most from the library so no big deal! Hav ordered one of my favs to reread.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3127 on: February 01, 2016, 03:43:47 PM »
And finally, hanging onto old stuff or not won't affect wether said terrible event is going to happen in the first place. You are not preventing anything bad from happening by keeping it. You are just ensuring that your life up to that point will be more stressful and draining and tiring,

"If I keep this old coat, that will prevent me from being thrown out onto the streets where I would need to use it as a blanket. "

I'm guilty of this kind of thinking, not so much about things, but in relation to worry. If I *worry* about a potential disaster sufficiently, that will prevent it from happening. If I fully anticipate every possible problem (in vivid detail and at length), those problems won't happen.

The result is that I constantly experience worry and fear, anticipating all sorts of terrible things that are not likely to happen.  Of course this completely destroys any feeling of peace or joy in the present. It's like filling your mind with stuff you hate. I've been doing this for years without even realizing it. Now that I know, I can try to control it (though it's hard).
« Last Edit: February 01, 2016, 10:04:46 PM by NoraLenderbee »

firelight

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3128 on: February 01, 2016, 07:06:05 PM »
I worry a lot about disasters too. My solution to this is to build a proper emergency kit (radio, flashlight, dry food, etc). That way, when I have bag lady fears, I take comfort that I still have my emergency kit and it is OK to let go of this one.

Astatine

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3129 on: February 02, 2016, 12:31:14 AM »

Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?

I'm late to this discussion but, yes, I've struggled with these thoughts too. What helped me get over the worst of these fears was:

- work out why I have this fear (for me, it's a combination of being estranged from family = no family safety net, being brought up with a feeling of scarcity not abundance)

- realise that my city is DROWNING in secondhand stuff, to the point where the recycle shed at the rubbish tip gives away clothes for free, the op shops sometimes say no to donations because there is so much stuff and so much stuff is given away on freecycle, so I can always get stuff cheaply or for free if the worst happened

- this is the most important one for me - building connections and community. I learnt to be more giving and generous (feelings of abundance, not scarcity) to my friends, acquaintances and to the general community. And learnt to accept things from my friends and acquaintances (this is HARD and a work in progress but I am improving :)). And then I realised, if the worst happened, I do have people to lean on and people do care about me.

Not sure if any of that is relevant to you but it helped me a lot.

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3130 on: February 02, 2016, 01:38:43 AM »
I suddenly feel like my house is almost the way I want it to be in terms of clutter and it's mostly maintenance now. Getting rid of two coffee tables has made my living room feel a lot more spacious and it's easier to vacuum.

What helped me get over the worst of these fears was:

- work out why I have this fear (for me, it's a combination of being estranged from family = no family safety net, being brought up with a feeling of scarcity not abundance)


Yes, I have the same reason for anxieties over money and security.

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3131 on: February 02, 2016, 04:00:35 AM »

Strange thoughts swirling in my head as I was going through various items today....  For example, I have a long black wool coat that has been on the donation list for several years now, yet every time I pull it out, I end up putting it back into the closet.  Every time, the thought in my head is "what if I need it to wear it to a funeral?".  And some other things that I'm debating getting rid of make me think along the same lines, what if I need these some time in the future?  So I'm trying to think through these thoughts logically.  I'm telling myself that I have plenty of money to buy anything I need at any point in time for any special occasion (which is absolutely true).  However, once I think all this through to the end, it turns out that I am scared that the money will disappear in some catastrophic event, that there will be a war and we will all be cold and hungry, and that my woolen coat (or whatever other item) will be very handy...  Seriously?!!  I think I have a problem - an irrational fear of becoming a bag lady!  Anyone else in the same boat?

I'm late to this discussion but, yes, I've struggled with these thoughts too. What helped me get over the worst of these fears was:

- work out why I have this fear (for me, it's a combination of being estranged from family = no family safety net, being brought up with a feeling of scarcity not abundance)

- realise that my city is DROWNING in secondhand stuff, to the point where the recycle shed at the rubbish tip gives away clothes for free, the op shops sometimes say no to donations because there is so much stuff and so much stuff is given away on freecycle, so I can always get stuff cheaply or for free if the worst happened

- this is the most important one for me - building connections and community. I learnt to be more giving and generous (feelings of abundance, not scarcity) to my friends, acquaintances and to the general community. And learnt to accept things from my friends and acquaintances (this is HARD and a work in progress but I am improving :)). And then I realised, if the worst happened, I do have people to lean on and people do care about me.

Not sure if any of that is relevant to you but it helped me a lot.
These are such good points, Astatine.  Thank you.  I am not estranged from my family but I do live on a different continent from them, so effectively, I do not have a safety net here.  And since my divorce, I only have only myself to rely on.  Thank goodness my FIRE plan is to move back to the town where I grew up and where my family is - I'm sure it will help a lot!  And yes, growing up, we didn't have much.  We were never hungry or cold but we lived in a communist country where there wasn't much stuff overall.   

And yes, I think the world overall is drowning in second hand stuff!!!

palebluedot

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3132 on: February 03, 2016, 01:35:00 PM »
Has anyone used http://www.cdrecyclingcenter.com/ for disc recycling?

I have old CDs, DVDs from computer software and I'm trying to find the best way to rid of it all. Also, does anyone where I can recycle electric toothbrushes? I received two for free but both broke a few months later.

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3133 on: February 04, 2016, 04:36:29 AM »
Of my original list posted last week, the CDs still remain unsorted.  I have been so tired the last few days that I was in bed around 8 pm so have not done a thing around the house.  Hopefully I can get my act together and do some stuff this weekend.  So it's probably time for a new list :-)

- sort through the CDs
- bring the stuff I am donating to the donation center (I have 2 bags of stuff ready to go and some miscellaneous crap in addition to that)
- go through the shelves in the basement
- KonMarie shoes and clothes

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3134 on: February 04, 2016, 05:46:16 AM »
I just read this on Rockstar Finance and thought it was relevant considering the discussion we were having about feeling anxious about having enough money or worrying about becoming homeless one day.

http://www.moneyaftergraduation.com/2016/01/04/why-you-should-practice-poverty/

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3135 on: February 04, 2016, 07:16:44 AM »
I just read this on Rockstar Finance and thought it was relevant considering the discussion we were having about feeling anxious about having enough money or worrying about becoming homeless one day.

http://www.moneyaftergraduation.com/2016/01/04/why-you-should-practice-poverty/

Interesting but I'm not really sure that this experiment is really that helpful or realistic.  After all, I would still be sleeping in my very comfortable bed, living in my lovely house with all the mod cons, and not really worrying whether I have enough money to pay my next electric bill...  And as a somewhat mustachian individual, I only read library books anyway, I don't eat out or buy coffee at Starbucks and my food budget IS about $50 per week so rice and beans are my staple :-)

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3136 on: February 04, 2016, 12:38:25 PM »
I just read this on Rockstar Finance and thought it was relevant considering the discussion we were having about feeling anxious about having enough money or worrying about becoming homeless one day.

http://www.moneyaftergraduation.com/2016/01/04/why-you-should-practice-poverty/

Interesting but I'm not really sure that this experiment is really that helpful or realistic.  After all, I would still be sleeping in my very comfortable bed, living in my lovely house with all the mod cons, and not really worrying whether I have enough money to pay my next electric bill...  And as a somewhat mustachian individual, I only read library books anyway, I don't eat out or buy coffee at Starbucks and my food budget IS about $50 per week so rice and beans are my staple :-)

Agreed. As a mustachian (not as much as some) I live this way most of the time- inexpensive groceries, usually eating what I hav before purchasing more at the lowest rates, almost never eat out, read library books everyday, do not shop for clothing or for fun etc.

FrugalShrew

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3137 on: February 04, 2016, 01:15:05 PM »
If you practice poverty through this poverty simulation you might not be as comforted:

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/02/what-i-learned-from-a-poverty-simulation/385190/

 

sobezen

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3138 on: February 04, 2016, 02:54:17 PM »
I start annually by selling furniture and other large items in every single room. I recently sold the desk, couch, dining table, side bedroom dressers, and a storage tower in the bathroom. I find the less large items I have it makes where I live feel so much larger, safer and cleaner too! :) Then, I move onto anything I have not touched and actually 'used' within one year. I find it helps to keep this in mind when I carefully examine my possessions. Some of the worst offenders are books/article print outs I no longer review, suits I no longer wear, and foods in the pantry. Usually all of this makes its way to donations and then after one quick trip it is all gone. It might seen extreme but I've lived for years with just one bed, one desk, and a few articles of quality clothing. I find with the reduction in possessions I take better care of what I do keep too. Your mileage may vary. Good luck cleansing and decluttering your life. Cheers! :D

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3139 on: February 04, 2016, 03:35:52 PM »
If you practice poverty through this poverty simulation you might not be as comforted:

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/02/what-i-learned-from-a-poverty-simulation/385190/

This sounds a hell of a lot more like real poverty than the Rockstar link.

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3140 on: February 05, 2016, 02:25:59 AM »
I know I'm not in the situation when I was a young teenager with a single mother and she thought we were going to lose our home, but the idea of being in poverty again still haunts me. I'm almost 40 years old, and obviously not even close to being in that situation, but it's hard to overcome fears if they have been with you for a long time.

I vacuumed yesterday and mopped all the floors and would like to have less furniture on the floor to make it even easier. I have two storage boxes that I use to store cat litter and I managed to move stuff around so I could fit one storage box in our main cupboard but I will have to try and find a place for the other box today. I'm not sure it can be done but I may as well try and look to see if there is anything else that can be thrown away or recycled.:)


theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3141 on: February 05, 2016, 02:33:19 AM »
Another car load to the charity shop! Unbelievable. A couple of things were gifts, and items won at a charity raffle. Some was Christmas decorations and things I cleared during the new year break.

I was so pleased to have the donate box and my car finally empty! Nothing hanging over me! Yay. Then I came home to a parcel from my mother (bless her for thinking of me, etc), and a dead houseplant. So now the contents of said parcel, and the plantpot are in the donate box! Argh, IT JUST KEEPS ON COMING.

That said, my house is looking and feeling so good! Shelves have breathing room, because stuff I want to keep has been put 'away' and drawers now contain items I actually want and use instead of being a repository for items I don't like / need and regret buying or keeping.

I spent most of my day off getting the house straight, packing stuff up for charity, and at the end of the day, I thought, I've spent an entire day dealing with 'stuff'. Rearranging shelves and drawers, tidying my wardrobe etc. No more. That was the last big session and now it's just maintenance and diligence about what comes in. I hope...

FausseBourgeoise

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3142 on: February 09, 2016, 06:39:51 PM »
Just Konmari'd my closet. 5 bags of things to donate. It took less than two hours with the help of a friend.

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3143 on: February 11, 2016, 09:00:22 AM »
I sold a bag of maternity shirts ($16, not too shabby!), packed up a bag of clothes to consign with ThredUp (we'll see what they offer for them), have another bag of clothes to donate, and an entire box full of clothes that are ripped or stained. I love my closet now! Today I'm wearing a shirt that I had completely forgot about until I dug it out from the back of my closet last weekend.

norabird

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3144 on: February 11, 2016, 09:24:00 AM »
Brought some stuff to a clothing swap yesterday and took a LOT home but most of it is being shipped off to Thredup. bwahahah.

Astatine

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3145 on: February 12, 2016, 09:40:57 PM »
DH and I decided we will do a run to the recycle shed at the tip and the book donation spot tomorrow. So that's prompted a bit of decluttering beyond the box of stuff that's been sitting next to the front door for ages.

So far:

- dead modem, will get dropped off at the e-waste recycling spot at the tip
- cat tunnel (takes up space in the lounge room, one cat uses it every few months or so)
- 4 small plastic containers (bought a lot of cheap Tupperware late last year at a fundraiser - the actual Tupperware, not the generic name for plasticware that Americans seem to use - so the old cheap and nasty stuff can go)
- magazine and word puzzle book (will go to medical waiting room at my next appt)
- 2 literary magazines
- a craft book I won in a raffle (very pretty but I will never use it to make stuff)
- metal water bottle (used it throughout chemo, now has nausea associations)
- clothes from a clothes swap that I didn't end up wanting to wear
- weird spatula thing that came free with our silicon bake sheets from Ikea

The kitchen plasticware cupboards also got rearranged a bit so it's a) easier to find stuff and b) less likely to trigger a plastic-landslide-of-doom when we reach in to get something.

Edit: I also threw out a few Christmas cards, a couple of prescriptions that went out of date last month and a few pieces of paper. Plus some paper that's been on the lounge room floor solely because the cats like sitting on them.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2016, 09:44:32 PM by Astatine »

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3146 on: February 13, 2016, 04:51:46 PM »
DH and I decided we will do a run to the recycle shed at the tip and the book donation spot tomorrow. So that's prompted a bit of decluttering beyond the box of stuff that's been sitting next to the front door for ages.

So far:

- dead modem, will get dropped off at the e-waste recycling spot at the tip
- cat tunnel (takes up space in the lounge room, one cat uses it every few months or so)
- 4 small plastic containers (bought a lot of cheap Tupperware late last year at a fundraiser - the actual Tupperware, not the generic name for plasticware that Americans seem to use - so the old cheap and nasty stuff can go)
- magazine and word puzzle book (will go to medical waiting room at my next appt)
- 2 literary magazines
- a craft book I won in a raffle (very pretty but I will never use it to make stuff)
- metal water bottle (used it throughout chemo, now has nausea associations)
- clothes from a clothes swap that I didn't end up wanting to wear
- weird spatula thing that came free with our silicon bake sheets from Ikea

The kitchen plasticware cupboards also got rearranged a bit so it's a) easier to find stuff and b) less likely to trigger a plastic-landslide-of-doom when we reach in to get something.

Edit: I also threw out a few Christmas cards, a couple of prescriptions that went out of date last month and a few pieces of paper. Plus some paper that's been on the lounge room floor solely because the cats like sitting on them.

I'm curious what you're referring to as what Americans typically use - are you saying there's a brand called "Tupperware " that's different than what we have he  or that we use entirely different plastic wear that we call Tupperware?

Prodigal Daughter

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3147 on: February 13, 2016, 06:13:24 PM »
Two large garbage bags filled with newly shredded, old financial documents.

Taxes filed.

Wild Saturday night.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3148 on: February 13, 2016, 06:24:44 PM »
I'm curious what you're referring to as what Americans typically use - are you saying there's a brand called "Tupperware " that's different than what we have he  or that we use entirely different plastic wear that we call Tupperware?

Tupperware is a brand name that's commonly used as a product name, kind of like Velcro, Post-its. There are a lot of them actually.

winostache

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3149 on: February 13, 2016, 07:04:48 PM »
You guys have made so much progress, I love reading this thread and you've motivated me to clean a few things around my place :)

I'd love to hear how you all handle clutter-attracting hobbies.  My SO is an engineer and tinkerer, who likes to build his own electronics.  It requires a lot of measurement gear, tools, and parts, so a lot of flat surfaces got covered - especially if a project is in progress (which can last for months).  We live in a 600 sqft condo, so there are no places like a basement or garage to banish him to.  The clutter also seems to turn invisible to him after a time and if he decides to drop the project, tons of parts, drawings, and half-done work gets added on top.

Anyone have their own rules, approaches, or thoughts on how to sort through this mess?  What do you do if you decide not to complete a project?  How do you keep clutter from turning invisible?  It's probably already been covered, but how do you get the SO on board? (He knows it's a mess, but he gets overwhelmed by the amount of effort it would take to dive in.  Too bad he's the only one who knows what's important to keep.)