Help me or Shoot Me Now!

[whitesands]

The "collector or packrat" thread got me thinking. We have a lovely home. There are only my husband and I living here. My husband said to me just last weekend...WE NEED TO HAVE A YARD/TAG SALE...I must admit, my beautiful clear counter tops are clear no more. Art covers our walls. My clothes closets are full. It takes our poor cleaner about an hour just to dust the stuff on our shelves. My linen closets are full. Our drawers are full...the pool house is full...the garage (down and up) is full...our walls are full of art...our storage areas are full. I grow orchids, which takes up more room. I seem to have every pot, pan, gadget, etc., etc. that I will ever need or use. I know my husband is right. We have to give away, donate, sell, throw out stuff. But my trouble is that I can't seem to part with any of it. To me, it is all useful, good stuff that I NEED! I watch those "organization" shows and it appears to me that I am emotionally attached to my stuff. How sad is that?!

Anyone else?

 

[Sheila]

The "collector or packrat" thread got me thinking. We have a lovely home. There are only my husband and I living here. My husband said to me just last weekend...WE NEED TO HAVE A YARD/TAG SALE...I must admit, my beautiful clear counter tops are clear no more. Art covers our walls. My clothes closets are full. It takes our poor cleaner about an hour just to dust the stuff on our shelves. My linen closets are full. Our drawers are full...the pool house is full...the garage (down and up) is full...our walls are full of art...our storage areas are full. I grow orchids, which takes up more room. I seem to have every pot, pan, gadget, etc., etc. that I will ever need or use. I know my husband is right. We have to give away, donate, sell, throw out stuff. But my trouble is that I can't seem to part with any of it. To me, it is all useful, good stuff that I NEED! I watch those "organization" shows and it appears to me that I am emotionally attached to my stuff. How sad is that?!

Anyone else?

I am gottothebeachmom and I am a hoarderholic. I feel your pain. I have been forced into cleaning out closests, dresser drawers, nighstands, and still have linen closets, and kitchen junk drawers to sort through. Not to mention a pantry that looks like a supersized grocery store exploded in it!!!!!

I won't shoot you. But, you are not alone. Good luck with what ever path of "treatment" you choose. Maybe we can form a support group of two.

 

[Ocean Lover]

If you haven't used it or worn it in one year you don't need it.;-) A friend of mine likes this site. http://www.flylady.net/

 

[Kurt]

I believe some are born to be cluttered and some are made that way (or made worse). It takes effort not to acquire stuff these days!

Follow the advice of the RHCP - Give it away, give it away, give it away now. (repeat) (repeat until you have only what you really need).

 

[dbuck]

Flylady and I graduated from high school together.

In the last few years I have seen several people have to go into "assisted living" arrangements. Sad that at the end we have to get rid of everything that doesn't fit into 2 small rooms. Maybe this should be our goal, only things that will fit into 2 small rooms.

 

[sue]

I also enjoy giving things away through Freecycle, and online site--there should be one in your area. You can request pick up from your home-or post curb alerts--

 

[whitesands]

Thank you for the help Ocean Lover, kurt, dbuck and sue - and I'm glad to know that I'm not alone gttbm kurt it's not "clutter" really...it's good stuff.

I know you are all right. I have to get a grip...perhaps do some good with some of my "stuff". I think another problem I have is that I shop for stuff but then don't reduce my inventory

Repeating to self "give it away, give it away, give it away now..." Hummm, a support group of two...hummm. That could backfire gttbm unless we each get a "sponsor"

 

[Sheila]

Thank you for the help Ocean Lover, kurt, dbuck and sue - and I'm glad to know that I'm not alone gttbm kurt it's not "clutter" really...it's good stuff.

I know you are all right. I have to get a grip...perhaps do some good with some of my "stuff". I think another problem I have is that I shop for stuff but then don't reduce my inventory

Repeating to self "give it away, give it away, give it away now..." Hummm, a support group of two...hummm. That could backfire gttbm unless we each get a "sponsor"

Good point. Otherwise we'd probably just end up shopping together for more "stuff". Seriously, I have made a huge dent in giving a lot of clothes and household items I never use to a great charity.

I am now having trouble in purging personal items. Cards, letters, pictures my children gave me over the years. I now have a huge stack of storage bins to hold all my treasures.

 

[lucky13]

Thank you for the help Ocean Lover, kurt, dbuck and sue - and I'm glad to know that I'm not alone gttbm kurt it's not "clutter" really...it's good stuff.

I know you are all right. I have to get a grip...perhaps do some good with some of my "stuff". I think another problem I have is that I shop for stuff but then don't reduce my inventory

Repeating to self "give it away, give it away, give it away now..." Hummm, a support group of two...hummm. That could backfire gttbm unless we each get a "sponsor"

I can be your sponsor. I LOVE getting rid of stuff. I regularly reduce my inventory and when I shop, I "try" to ask myself if I really need it or I'll really wear it. Takes a little of the fun in shopping out, but then I don't end up with 5 denim jackets!

 

[peapod1980]

I also enjoy giving things away through Freecycle, and online site--there should be one in your area. You can request pick up from your home-or post curb alerts--

I love Freecyle! And I find that once the stuff I've offered gets picked up, I get excited that someone actually wanted my old, uh, treasures, so then I start looking around for more things to offer! It's like a reverse buying spree and feels a heck of a lot better.