Clutter and hoarding stuff!

[Frank Manning]

We have just finished tidying up after a couple of months of work in the house. In the process have discovered what a pair of sentimental hoarders we have become. I am ashamed to admit that I have; Old diaries
Keys from who knows where
A pile of staionery odds and ends we will never use
Old painings
Screws which may come in handy
Tools for who knows what purpose
The safety valve off my old childhood Mammod steam engine (?? )
A key to the radio room of a ship now long scrapped....that might still qualify as theft!!
Business cards from the 1970's customers
First ever driving license circa 1964
The golf ball used when I got my 'hole in one'
45rpm records from the 1950's and early 1960's
A valve record player in its case
Loads of old tins of paint
A half full screw top tin of shell motor oil circa 1965
An aluminium shoe horn made by my grandfather in WWII
A bookshelf and a wooden cabinet made by our son at school
Pictures we will never again hang up
Piles of ship nostalgia, booklets, photos,
Loads of P&O Holiday Info booklets
P&O Menus with stewards good wishes on them

I could go on for longer.

Is anyone else as bad as we are? (Incidentally I am the biggest offender, but Sue is running me a close second!!)

[arcadialover]

Not quite as bad as you but I have still got my brownie uniform and goodness knows how many P&O menus. Still got a box with my bottom drawer stuff in that seemed a good idea to collect years ago, just can't bring myself to throw it out.

[Manoverboard]

Nah, I deffo haven't got a brownie uniform

In spite of several major clear outs during the past 20 years I still have a whole pile of Hornby electric trains, with related bibs n bobs, in mint boxed condition plus computers / games machines / Hi-Fi / records and CDs ... not to mention books and pamphlets on umpteen holiday / leisure destinations both at home and overseas.

The garage is full of tools and paint for all occasions plus scaffolding and various machines that are, or could well be at some point in time, of some use in Mobietta's garden.

So ... basically, ' NO ', I am not a hoarder.

[jay-ell71]

I am definitely NOT a hoarder, but my OH definitely is. The garage is full of "just in case" items, so is the loft space and his study.

Can I have a skip for my birthday? Please.

[HK phooey]

I can't bear to throw out any pictures/cards that the children have given me. There is a whole filing cabinet full of them in the garage. I have all the Horizons from my cruises too, plus menus and the kids' club schedules, can't see myself ever getting rid of them.

[Quizzical Bob]

I am definitely NOT a hoarder, but my OH definitely is. The garage is full of "just in case" items, so is the loft space and his study.

Can I have a skip for my birthday? Please.

Certainly. Where would you find the room to put it?

[Gill W]

I've decluttered a lot of things over the last few years. Things that had been in the loft since we moved into the house, things from my parents house and things from my mother in laws house.

I've kept some selected pieces that are special, as my overall aim is to only have things in the house that I use, wear or please me.

I wouldn't say I was clutter free, but it's better than it was.

I haven't missed any of the things that I've let go, so it's generally safe to get rid of a lot of the 'just in case' stuff

[Dancing Queen]

I'm not a hoarder at all, I wish I could say the same about my husband he is "slowly" coming round to my way of thinking though through the summer he has had a blitz in two sheds and the garage, sadly the garage is looking a bit of a "tip" again, time to start "nagging" again me thinks

I can understand why people hang on to "sentimental" things ( even though I don't ) but why fill a loft or a garage or cupboards with something you will probably never look at again, when you finally leave this earth your treasures will become someone else's junk so get rid now and save someone else the job

[Romig1]

I'm not a hoarder at all, I wish I could say the same about my husband he is "slowly" coming round to my way of thinking though through the summer he has had a blitz in two sheds and the garage, sadly the garage is looking a bit of a "tip" again, time to start "nagging" again me thinks

I can understand why people hang on to "sentimental" things ( even though I don't ) but why fill a loft or a garage or cupboards with something you will probably never look at again, when you finally leave this earth your treasures will become someone else's junk so get rid now and save someone else the job :thumbup:

That's the whole point ...what goes around, comes around.

[Silver_Shiney]

h your treasures will become someone else's junk so get rid now and save someone else the job

Conversely, your junk can become someone else's treasure. Someone brought a magnetic board and letters into the charity shop a few years ago - the box said it was for making captions for your cine films. Of no use now, of course, in this digital, computerised age. One of my regulars pounced on it, she said it would be ideal for when she took her dogs to the racetrack.

I'm "hoarding" some old vinyls, for which I now have digital copies. The Lady C is hoarding a knitting machine that was given to her 20 years ago and never been used. I'm sure we could both be ruthless if we could be bothered going through everything.

[Meg 50]

SD has just emptied the drawers under her bed (new bed coming soon, old one being taken away on Tuesday) and found a load of single bedding - blankets and stuff.

Trying to find a home for it. It's perfect, but she's gone over to duvets

[Jan Rosser]

I had a good clear out of my attic a few years ago but now find I'm hoarding stuff belonging to my sons - second son has a collections of LPs up there in two crates and when he visits he goes up, looks at them and when I suggest taking them back with him he says he has no room!

His old fishing tackle is still up there and his foreign coin collection. I am glad I kept the boys' old board games and I now play them with my grandchildren - my grandson loves playing Monopoly!

I still have my wedding dress and cards and the pillars off my cake - none of which I plan to use again more suitcases than the Samsonite shop and even a pushchair - don't ask - no. 1 son left that with me as it was damaged on a flight.

Now the winter months are approaching I find it's a good time to take stock of drawers and cupboards and have a good clear out - I can be quite ruthless when I put my mind to it.

[emjay45]

No I'm not a hoarder but I am married to the worst hoarder I think. We have NEVER been able to keep a car in any garage we have had. When we moved last time I cannot remember the amount of skips we had to remove rubbish from the garage and sheds. My husband was working abroad at the time and my sons helped me sort things out. My husband stills moans about some of the things we threw away,. This house has a double garage and some, and we still can't keep a car in it. How he has accumulated so much 'stuff' again I don't know. I absolutely dread the words 'Don't throw that away it may come in handy'.

[Kendhni]

I have a garage full of 'just in case' items that means I am forever climbing over things to get at what I want .. similarly I have 2 attics full of items ande currently my study is loaded with junk ... really must have a gumtree day.

[david63]

Why is it though that as soon as you "reduce" the number of "stored items for future use" you need the very item that has gone?

[GillD46]

Two house moves in three years, the last one being a MAJOR downsize, means we had to get rid of much of our junk. When we moved four years ago, after twenty two years in the same house, we needed an industrial size skip to get rid of stuff my husband simply hadn't been able to part with. His old O level papers, our children's broken toys and scribbled on books and magazines etc

I can keep more than I should, but he is dreadful and seems totally incapable of throwing anything away. Anything! His shed is an Aladdin's cave of "stuff" most of it rubbish! Sadly, I think he's a lost cause as far as hoarding is concerned.

[Boris+]

I try really hard not to hoard - but himself does indulge in hoarding just a bit!

I've managed to steer himself away from the Radio Times and to look at tv listings online, and that is one big 'save'; but I can't seem to shift his 'hobby mags and books'. I think I shall invest in the electronic editions of his main 'hobby mag', but I do respect that books need to be kept dry and safe indoors - just where I can't see them is fine.

I do indulge in small tasteful items to remind us of wonderful holidays, but not many; I don't keep the menus etc from cruises, neither do I keep the pre-cruise brochure or any old cruising literature.

I have kept the golf ball used for my last hole-in-one - but it is kept discreetly in a drawer.

So - I'm not bad with clutter really ...... hopefully!

Em

[Frank Manning]

No I'm not a hoarder but I am married to the worst hoarder I think. We have NEVER been able to keep a car in any garage we have had. When we moved last time I cannot remember the amount of skips we had to remove rubbish from the garage and sheds. My husband was working abroad at the time and my sons helped me sort things out. My husband stills moans about some of the things we threw away,. This house has a double garage and some, and we still can't keep a car in it. How he has accumulated so much 'stuff' again I don't know. I absolutely dread the words 'Don't throw that away it may come in handy'.

I feel better now Em...I do at least get the car into the garage....but I have two sheds...one dedicated to garden tools, the other houses my bike, workbench, and an assortement of hobby stuff, currently my oil paints and canvasses etc, but they are coming back in soon. I may then be able to find the birds food.

[Dark Knight]

not a hoarder at all
we had a massive clear out prior to the recent move, the garage is a man cave, with everything on shelves and in tool boxes, there is enough room to get the car in as well
all my graphic novels are in book cases, all my comics in filing cabinets, no interest in keeping old cruise stuff or memento's from cruises or holidays, that's what photos are for
we regularly have a clear out and it all goes to charity, which is gift aided, the only thing I have yet to sort out is my sea fishing gear,as I cant decide if I want to start again or get rid at a car boot sale?
just donated our old desk top computer to next door's kids

[Boris+]

Oh Frank - don't mention the blasted bird food! We have purchased several items for putting bird food out in the garden. We get different stuff (whichever is recommended) frequently and put it in the containers - and no blasted birds!

Maybe that is more clutter that we should dispose of?

I have decided though - as a result of this thread - to get rid of a couple of cruise evening outfits!

Em

[Frank Manning]

The only problem we have with the bird food is stopping the pidgeons from scoffing it all.

In my (my) shed are two massive blue plastic boxes on wheels containing bits for various vacuum cleaners, and other cleaning implements banished from the house until needed, this is to preserve the orderly look in doors. That lot has to be moved out before I can get to my bike. At present we are also collecting stuff to sell at our Mission to Seafarers Christmas Fair in November. Trouble is, what we dont sell then comes back in the car

[Dark Knight]

Frank
ever heard of the council tip?
it is a place where you can dump all your rubbish for free

might be worth finding one near you

[Jacknian]

From reading these posts it seems like the majority of people or their partners are hoarders. My husband is a major offender, for every item I manage to throw away he brings in two more. Our garage is full to the rafters and I daren't even think about the loft. It does worry me because we have just had to clear out my dad's house after he passed away and it was a massive job taking us several months. I would hate our children to have such a task after we've gone so I'm trying to change his ways but it's hard going !

[emjay45]

I have decided though - as a result of this thread - to get rid of a couple of cruise evening outfits!
Em

Ooh reading this a small confession I have been meaning to sort out my wardrobes for a while. Normally I can be ruthless getting rid of old clothes. I keep buying clothes for cruises and I'm running out of space. Right I know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow. Another ruthless sort out coming up.

[Gill W]

Why is it though that as soon as you "reduce" the number of "stored items for future use" you need the very item that has gone?

I can safely say that all the things that I've decluttered have not been required after they've gone

On the subject of vinyl records, I've sold all our 7 inch singles on eBay. We were both prolific record buyers. I was able to sell some of the more interesting 50's and 60's singles individually, but the bog standard 70's and 80's ones I sold in lots of between 50 and 70. I averaged about £30 for each lot, so it was some useful extra money.

I'm now starting on our LP's. Before I went on holiday I tried a few on eBay, and they all sold on an individual basis. So there seems to be a good market out there, so I'm going to get another batch down from the loft to list.

We have 100's of LPs, so it will be a long process. But I enjoy eBaying, so it's no hardship for me


I'll also be looking at my wardrobe again. There's some things have have survived the last two wardrobe culls and still haven't been worn, so maybe it's time for those things to go. Also, there's some cruise clothes that need looking at. I didn't take them with me on a 24 night cruise, so they are not likely to be needed on shorter cruises.