How much ‘stuff’ do we really need?

[WutheringFrights]

We’ve got back from a week away staying on a self catering resort - the house had a really bare minimum of kitchen and table ware and it made me think about how much we have in our cupboards at home and whether we really need it.

I tried to talk to DH about it - streamlining the quantities of crocks and crap that we have but apparently if we had less we’d be using the dishwasher more (or actually washing up 😱) and there’s no point getting rid of our everyday stuff and using our ‘best’ as it’ll get ruined....

I reckon I could easily downsize my kitchen bits and have a much nicer more open, less cluttered kitchen!

Also clothes.....I took tons and wore barely any of them....so why do I need such a wide variety in my wardrobe?

I’ve done the Marie Kondo decluttering before but I still think we have way to much stuff.

My question is (yes there is a point to my ranting thread) how much crockery, glasses, cutlery, utensils, baking, cookware do you own? Is it tonnes like me or do you get by with the bare minimum?

Dh and I discussed this very thing last week. I am so tired of my teen leaving 5-6 cups in her room. I said "we should all have one cup each and keep two aside for visitors! Same with bowls and plates"

Instead we have about 30 mugs, 40 bowls and plates! Why??

None of my crockery is particularly nice...none matches! I might just do it!

Clothing....I am always throwing it away! Such a waste.

I have streamlined our crockery for this reason but still have way too many glasses etc. Yet when we go camping we all seem to survive with the bare minimum quite happily!

It’s crazy isn’t it?

We have 12 of everything; plates, side plates, bowls, pasta bowls and cutlery then another 12 settings in our naice set - that’s 24 bloody plates! Sometimes we aren’t even here to eat a meal during the day!!!

And we don’t host massive posh dinner parties either. We also have 24 glass tumblers just in case and I swear the mugs are bloody breeding!

I am going to have to start surreptitiously removing stuff aren’t I?!

A Greek themed party perhaps so I can smash it all .... but then we might all the tumblers (obviously won’t as I’d rather charity shop it!)

...and I hate the crockery we have - its all plain white, it’s dull dull dull!

You see now I’m thinking about getting rid of it I’m already thinking of what I will replace it with when I don’t need to as I have a ton of posh stuff that’s barely been used!

Although that is also just white!

Maybe I should just empty my kitchen and start again?

I have loads of plates, bowls, cutlery, on purpose, despite being very conscious about waste. I do host lots of people several times a year, and I’d much rather have enough of everything to go round rather than use disposable plastic and paper options that are used once and binned. Better to have things that are used over and over for years.

Wuthering me too! I hate ours....but getting rid and buying more is wasteful right? I feel it's entitled spoiled Western behaviour.

"Oh I've got too much and it's ugly...buy more!"

Really, we should ditch most of it to charity and keep some....not start again with new.

Henny I know - I absolutely will charity shop anything I get rid of and can’t justify starting afresh!
It’s funny though as the posh stuff were our wedding presents and we thought they were ‘timeless’ but they already feel quite dated but I’d rather use them than sit looking at them in a dusty cupboard

I just have to convince DH.

Buffalo We used to be party people but a long distance move to a relatively rural area and then children seem to have put a stop to it so why we have 12 of everything for ‘best’ is beyond me! 😂

Yep I have way to much stuff. I’ve been Swedish Death Cleaning and still have too much. But I’m getting there.

Swedish Death cleaning!?!?

I have no idea what that is but I’m off to Google! 😂

I have a ton of posh stuff that’s barely been used

This is a crime against nice things! Use the good stuff before it goes out of style!