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Original poster

Do we all have too much stuff???

133 replies

Notcontent · 29/08/2020 23:25

I moved house recently (had another thread about how stressful that was!). I moved to a house pretty much the same size as my old house but both houses are quite small. Anyway, as part of the moving process I had to obviously find new places to put everything etc and I felt really overwhelmed by how much stuff I have. It’s just me and a teen, and I did lots of decluttering before the move, but it still feels like we have a lot of stuff. But we don’t have a garage or a loft where we can just stuff random things out of sight, so I think we probably have fewer things than a lot of people.

If you have a small house or flat, are you constantly decluttering? Or if you have a large house, is it full of stuff and do you ever feel overwhelmed by it?

OP posts:
HoldMyLobster · 30/08/2020 02:41

Or if you have a large house, is it full of stuff and do you ever feel overwhelmed by it?

I quite often look around mine and think it feels quite empty.

Having said that, we're about to all swap bedrooms, and I know that in the process we'll find about a million things we need to get rid of.

Time40 · 30/08/2020 02:53

No! I love stuff! I want even more stuff!

My problem is that I don't have enough space.

HugeAckmansWife · 30/08/2020 08:10

I feel like we have way too much tech. I'm Not anti screen but we have 3 games consoles plus 2 handheld ones, a kindle fire, a very old ipad that can't do much but is used for Facetime, two phones, now that oldest dc has one, my laptop and two others bought for home learning. I've now been given an newer ipad and a kindle paperwhite and it's all just sitting about. Wires and chargers everywhere, nothing does quite the job I want it too either and I'd rather just have books 😭

Porridgeoat · 30/08/2020 10:02

mething kind of magical and silly happened when I pared everything right down - a little bit of the joy of 'playing house' came back. It was a taste of that same feeling - my plate, your plate, my towel, your towel - sort of childishly satisfying. And everything feels like less work.
smile

^ this happened to me too. Small pleasures

Immigrantsong · 30/08/2020 10:06

@Everyonetakeiteasy

Yes. Far too much stuff. Also growing up with almost nothing (we were qute poor) made me now go a bit too much onto...accumulating stuff. I too want to declutter. Massively so. I have an excessive amount of clothes yikes!!!
Same here. Growing up poor does things to you and did accumulate loads out of fear of being without. I am starting to overcome this now.
toomuchlikemyusername · 30/08/2020 10:11

Absolutely too much stuff and I think I live a relatively pared down life compared to others I know.
But cupboards filled with crockery that is rarely used, electronic gadgets that are out dated, too many suitcases and as for the garage... I also have a few larger items that have come from family members that don't work in my house but I am struggling to let them go, partly out of a sense of guilt.

I often wonder how much of it I would repurchase if the whole lot got stolen. Not very much and it would give me the scope to buy things that were fresh and stylish, something I deny myself as I already have stuff that does the job.

HRHQueenMortificado · 30/08/2020 10:24

We have a reasonably large house for the two of us and far too much 'stuff' I definitely feel peak stuff at the moment, in slowly going through using things up and am going to get to a point of one deodorant, one bleech spray for example I've recently thrown a lot of things that was at the back of cupboards and forgotten about away and I am certainly not going to replace. I do own far too many clothes I have a thing about throwing away and tend to keep them when I accidentally shrink them (I'm sure that's what happens) in case I happen to shrink to match, but I've recently operated a Marie condo attitude to bringing and keeping new clothes... Does it make me happy? Yes keep no return.

Titsywoo · 30/08/2020 10:30

I have regular clear outs. I personally don't have loads of stuff but DH is terrible for keeping things he doesn't need (and buying too much!). I took a week off work in feb just to have a proper clear out of the whole house including the loft (and a proper deep clean and organise). I went through every cupboard and drawer in the house and every box in the loft. Problem is I didn't get around to taking all the stuff to a charity shop and then lockdown happened and it's still in my car boot! I can't bear living in chaos. Yesterday I spent a few hours sorting the shed into clearly marked boxes as dh just chucks everything randomly in and then moans he can't find anything or rebuys things that we already have.

latticechaos · 30/08/2020 10:37

I don't feel too overwhelmed any more, because I went full.minimalist a while back after downsizing. I have gone back up a bit, but I don't have so much crap now.

I still have to work to keep on top of it, but the key is trying not to let it in the house in the first place.

Blackbear19 · 30/08/2020 10:53

The other thing that overwhelms me is kids books. And people passing them on.
I'm never sure when is the right time to get rid of them. My youngest who's acquired from at least 2 other kids has so many books they over spill from his book case. I also have others stashed in a cupboard that I'm not sure when to pull them out.

DDIJ · 30/08/2020 10:58

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Meruem · 30/08/2020 12:28

Like pp’s have mentioned, I grew up poor and had nothing so now having stuff brings me comfort. I personally don’t see the issue. I have no desire to be a minimalist. Everything I own has a place. It’s not piled up hoarder style! So why do I need to get rid of it? My house wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste but they don’t live here and I do. A near empty home would depress me. So yes I have a lot of stuff but no I’m not getting rid of any of it!

kitschplease · 30/08/2020 12:35

I'm pretty good at decluttering and don't get sentimentally attached to things. The house still feels rammed though - I blame the kids and DH who has inherited hoarder tendencies.

WhatWouldYouDoWhatWouldJesusDo · 30/08/2020 12:40

I stopped buying 'stuff' years ago. The economy would collapse if everyone spent the way I do. Blush

Its liberating tho. And my house is a damn sight tidier as a result.

VirginiaWolverine · 30/08/2020 12:50

I have quite a small house, with not much storage, and also no car (which makes trips to the tip difficult) so we have quite a lot of clutter, either things we should get rid of but which are tricky to transport (old cupboard door, broken fence panel) or things which are useful but we don't have great storage for (bicycles, large tools).

Witchend · 30/08/2020 13:22

I have far too much stuff, but find it very hard to get rid of things.
I think it's due to having a fanatically tidy df who used to just chuck things if he didn't think they were useful, and sometimes they were of deep sentimental value to me.

tsmainsqueeze · 30/08/2020 13:45

I have a roomy 3 bed house , i hate minimalism but equally so clutter , i love a cosy comfortable look which i think i have achieved but i don't want to add more stuff .
It gives me great pleasure clearing out , charity , swapping ,shpock etc and i am trying to not add stuff without getting rid of stuff at the same time -if that makes sense !
I have to really love something and know i have a place for it before i buy it , even if just pence from ie charity shop.
For me i find it a bit overwhelming having too much stuff .

BackforGood · 30/08/2020 18:14

but it still feels wasteful getting rid of something which might be useful again. Even if it's something which hasn't been used for years and gets rehomed or recycled.
@MaggieFS - this is me,

and yes, I think it stems from this :
growing up with almost nothing (we were qute poor) made me now go a bit too much onto...accumulating stuff. I too want to declutter.

I never thought of ourselves as poor growing up though, looking back, my parents were clearly on a tight budget but as a young adult, and then young couple, and then young family, every penny counted, and now (we are fortunately far more comfortably off) I can't bring myself to throw away things that might be useful.
I am happy to give things to people - pass things on - but I struggle with the idea of throwing things out.

There is also an element of me not being able to get into the mindset of "well, if we ever need one in the future, we can just buy one" as it seems so wasteful when there are so many families living with so little.
I need a patient person to help me 'thin out' and then 'thin out' again and again.
My (adult) ds has helped at the start of lockdown. We've taken a lot to the tip and a liot to charity shops, but there is a long way to go.

latticechaos · 30/08/2020 18:19

@BackforGood

but it still feels wasteful getting rid of something which might be useful again. Even if it's something which hasn't been used for years and gets rehomed or recycled. *@MaggieFS* - this is me,

and yes, I think it stems from this :
growing up with almost nothing (we were qute poor) made me now go a bit too much onto...accumulating stuff. I too want to declutter.

I never thought of ourselves as poor growing up though, looking back, my parents were clearly on a tight budget but as a young adult, and then young couple, and then young family, every penny counted, and now (we are fortunately far more comfortably off) I can't bring myself to throw away things that might be useful.
I am happy to give things to people - pass things on - but I struggle with the idea of throwing things out.

There is also an element of me not being able to get into the mindset of "well, if we ever need one in the future, we can just buy one" as it seems so wasteful when there are so many families living with so little.
I need a patient person to help me 'thin out' and then 'thin out' again and again.
My (adult) ds has helped at the start of lockdown. We've taken a lot to the tip and a liot to charity shops, but there is a long way to go.

I think you could learn to let these feelings go if you watch enough or read enough.

It has been eight years I think since I did it and there have been two items I missed after getting rid - the spare clock radio and a game. I haven't actually bothered replacing.

The other multiple hundreds of items have not been missed so far...

dudsville · 30/08/2020 18:26

Honestly, yes! I moved 3 years ago. Got rid of loads. Last year we did the kitchen. Got rid of loads more. We STILL have grown a series of cupboards for storing items we don't use.

whitepebblecactus · 30/08/2020 18:27

We still have too much stuff although I'm super aware of it and go for quality over quantity. If I already have something I won't buy another unless I'm totally in love with it and will get rid of the older version.

When we lived in a smaller house I decluttered at least monthly through necessity. Mainly kids stuff that seems to breed. There would be a few small bags to bin or donate usually plus clothes for charity a few times a year. Now we're in a bigger house I still declutter regularly as even though I can get away with more I hate knowing there's overflow stuffed in cupboards etc!

Not having a garage or loft will not help you with storage but it may help you to be even more organised and strict with things coming in at least!

shinynewapple2020 · 30/08/2020 18:33

My DH is very unsentimental and fairly minimalist whereas by nature I am a bit of a hoarder and will keep things I no longer use 'just in case'

Our house, overall, doesn't contain too much 'stuff' simply down to DH chucking stuff out. I have a huge wardrobe and a few drawers / cupboards which contain stuff I really no longer need but I hate sorting stuff out.

What is helping me to let stuff go I don't really need is having recently had to sort out my parents house following my father's death and mum moving to a care home . I think they had kept every single thing they had ever bought . It wasn't easy going through it and I don't want the same for my DS.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 30/08/2020 18:34

Yes we have too much stuff. It's the way the consumer economy works. If we weren't constantly buying, replacing and upgrading the whole economy as we know it would fall apart.

Doobydoo · 30/08/2020 18:39

I think I agree.My thi g is keeping things that have memories and books! Dp would be minimalist but I really find it difficult to let go of things. We do not have loads of spare techy stuff etc and do not buy loads of clothes it is just memory things,books etc.

BackforGood · 30/08/2020 20:16

It's the way the consumer economy works. If we weren't constantly buying, replacing and upgrading the whole economy as we know it would fall apart.

I don't do that though. I am of the mindset that I can't see the point of buying something if I've still got one that works. I never know what I want for birthdays or Christmas.

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