Why do I have so much stuff

[Ideasplease322]

How do people love minimalist lifestyles.

I am clearing out because I hope to move in the new year. There is just so much bloody stuff.

I am not a hoarder, or a big shopper, I live alone in the three bedroom house, but there just seems to be so much stuff - junk drawer stuff, papers that I probably should keep, clothes, cleaning stuff, toiletries, shoes, books.

I have done three dump runs. I have cleared away all my summer clothes into the loft. But I am still stuck with boxes of crap. My forelegs love in these slick, tidy houses.

Is it just that I am not organised enough? How does everyone else keep control of the stuff? Should I just dump everything?

Unfortunately if you've got space you'll fill it, we only have one spare room but it routinely got filled with crap until this year when I ended to make it into an office and now because it has a purpose and it's used 5 days a week it's relatively tidy.

That's the secret for me, every room having a dedicated purpose and every thing (or type of thing) having a dedicated place. I'm no domestic goddess but all my batteries are in one box, all my lightbulbs are in another, all my essential paperwork, present wrapping stuff etc. it makes it easy to find things and to know when you need to buy more, batteries are a good example you can end up with huge amounts because you've got them all over the house, can't find one when you need it and keep buying more.

I've got a load of stuff in the shed from when the tip and charity shops were closed and my loft needs sorting out but ask me for a bulb for the landing light and I have a new box full because I used the last of the old box last week and ordered a new one.

gather all of your clothes in one place and sort through them all together; put all of your T-shirts together, jumpers, jeans etc so you can actually see how much you have and then see what to keep. Same with paper work, books, kitchen items etc

I can't get past this .It seems impossible .Maybe it works because it avoids procrastination ,things would have to be immediately dumped because otherwise you'd have rooms and corridors blocked .

Another here finding the thread inspiring OP .

Where I live dump runs v tricky .Appointments and things printed off ,but I have neither a smart phone nor a printer .Used to pop to library for printing but with covid it's not open .

@peridito - if you have lots, then I would just gather one item at once to sort such as all T-shirt’s in house on bed. Sort through. Bin anything old and holey or faded. Bag for charity anything you don’t like or wear. Then just put away the rest. That way there’s some straight in bin but not enough you need the tip, only a small bag to charity and the rest back. So hallways clear

Peridito I have occasionally had skip bags, where I live it's around £35 - £40 for a tonne bag but they deliver it and pick it up, the company I use is licensed and it goes to a recycling facility. Cheaper than a similar sized skip, but the same ability to get things straight out of the house. After my ex left I got all his stuff out the house and then got a big skip and did a huge declutter, very therapeutic. I've never had to do it again on that scale but I have to keep an eye on things.

I've done Marie Kondo style organising (and have maintained it to an extent) and you do make a huge mess and need to get things straight out of the house really or you'll just move it around and make more work.

Oh @TeaOneSugar that sounds a brilliant idea . I've known about those bags for a while but never thought of actually using them .

I think that may be the way forward !!!!!

www.hippowaste.co.uk/hippobag/

Finished at eleven last night! Did my bedroom, wardrobe floor cleared under bed and bedside drawers.

Three bin bags full of unusable stuff. Broken handbags, old Broken sunglasses, half used sun cream, so many half used deodorants, more charger cables, loads of old dry pens, worn out shoes etc etc

I also found a marks and Spencer bag with a pair of new work trousers and a lovely top that I now remember buying Last year😂.

Need to go through all my clothes but I have run out of steam.

I also have a house full of crap and a dh who doesn't like to get rid of anything but we have been slowly sorting it. Have done 2 tip runs in the last week, plenty more to go though

If it helps I failed at clearing out ahead of time last time we moved, but once we had an actual moving date the panic really got me going. I threw out/donated SO MUCH crap without stopping to think it through but 2 years on haven't missed any of it. Marie Kondo is right: if you haven't worn or read it for years you probably never will.

Donating decent quality stuff to charity shops made it much easier to get rid of - I felt better about my own profligacy knowing that at least a worthy cause will get some benefit from it.

Well done, Op!

Don't be too hard on yourself.

For me, the easiest way is to sift on a fairly regular basis.

Broken or crap things
Things that no longer fit you or you no longer like
Five black polo necks (doora?!) can be whittled down to two or three
and so on...

The nice thing is, the more you do the more momentum you get as you realise that things fit in the cupboard easier then you find things easier to find, etc.

I think the thought of dying tomorrow and having someone else sort my crap out keeps me going!

I downsized a few years ago and my son's said I was throwing their life away

They could've taken all of their old stuff to clutter up their own homes.

I think the thought of dying tomorrow and having someone else sort my crap out keeps me...

...hiding things in interest places and absurd combinations.

I have been looking at each thing and asking myself if I want to take it with me when I move. So that has helped. I have been holding onto things because it seems wrong to let them go.

A friend bought me a jewellery box for Christmas years ago, I feel guiltY
but I hate it. It is huge and has been taking up space. I don’t even use it for jewellery, so it’s in the charity shop pile😢

Some in laws of mine have drawers that are empty in their living room. I mean if I have a drawers, something will go in it. Until it's full.

I m so proud because we have not one, BUT TWO, empty drawers in the living room

We downsized 3 years ago & oh my goodness the crap! It’s nearly every room. And we are so short of storage. My current job is to sort through the piles, bags, baskets & suitcases of clothes & to put the summer stuff in the loft. DD & I have sooooo much stuff! And don’t get me started on the kitchen table!

I bloody love decluttering! Yet my house still has too much stuff as I find it hard to say no to other people's clutter; it's a vicious circle.

Don't shop often or go for a browse, enter a charity shop juast to look...that way clutter arrives..

Don't buy stuff, unless a clear and defined NEED.

When we put our flat on the market we had a massive tidy up, but were left with a bunch of ESSENTIAL stuff that couldn't be put away. So before the first viewer came I stuck it all in the car boot... and forgot about it for the next 3 weeks. I strongly believe 90% of clutter serves no used purpose whatsoever.

I’ve found the thread for me I always wonder how other people manage it. Do you just get rid of lots of stuff regularly? I always end up thinking I’ll just keep that because as soon as I throw it away I’ll need it again. I bought the Marie Kondo book, read half of it and now it’s just been added to the pile of clutter in the corner of the living room

@MrsKramer

When we put our flat on the market we had a massive tidy up, but were left with a bunch of ESSENTIAL stuff that couldn't be put away. So before the first viewer came I stuck it all in the car boot... and forgot about it for the next 3 weeks. I strongly believe 90% of clutter serves no used purpose whatsoever.

I found exactly the same with handbags. I used to use huge handbags that would be filled to the brim with essentials. After a while I started using a smaller bag so could therefore fit in less stuff. When my DS came along I found I didn't want to carry his changing bag and a handbag so I'd just shove my phone in my pocket and my keys in his bag. I've not taken my own bag out since and you know what, I survive without the massive amount of essentials I thought I once needed in order to leave the house!

@Ideasplease322

I have been looking at each thing and asking myself if I want to take it with me when I move. So that has helped. I have been holding onto things because it seems wrong to let them go.

A friend bought me a jewellery box for Christmas years ago, I feel guiltY
but I hate it. It is huge and has been taking up space. I don’t even use it for jewellery, so it’s in the charity shop pile😢

Don't feel guilty! I came to the decision a few years back that in being given and gracefully received presents had fulfilled their purpose in life. What happened to them next didn't matter. This enables me to regift or charity shop anything that I'm given that I don't want.

This has really help reduce the amount of stuff we have in the house and means that we only have things that we've chosen and/or love. Nothing is here out of obligation. Which is really lovely.