Are you ruthless with throwing things away or a hoarder?

[Teapotteapot76]

Hoarder here, but after watching sort your life out, I am hoping to become a ruthless declutterer. My house is needs a big sort out. What is everyone else like?

Do you mercilessly throw things away that you no longer need or hold onto them?

I am generally ruthless and love a declutter. Nothing better than a bin bag full of crap leaving my life!

I do admit to hoarding "memories" though. I will not get rid of books, photos, baby things (just a big plastic box each, nothing mad), unidentifiable things the children made out of clay or random bits they bought me on occasions. Although it is all very Dilly style - labelled plastic boxes in a row in the eaves.

I’m a bit of a hoarder if I’m honest, I definitely have too much stuff. Trying not to add to it and slowly chipping away bit I’ll never be a ruthless minimalist, it’s just not in my nature.

Somewhere in between I’d say. Definitely better than I was, partly because we downsized a few years ago so just don’t have space for loads of clutter. What I really need to do is work on my addiction to online shopping.

I haven’t read the thread but as an ex-hoarder I can tell you what works for me. Life-changing!

Choose a room. Take everything small and cluttery out of the room (onto the patio or into the landing if the room is upstairs). Give the room a quick clean / wipe surfaces if you have time. Remind yourself that you can put anything/everything back if you want to. Enjoy looking at your clean, uncluttered room.

From all this stuff on the landing, choose the things you want to put back in your room and take them in one by one, putting them where they look nice or will be most useful.

There will be a mountain of stuff left on the landing that you will realise you do not want back in your room! It is completely different, choosing what you want to put back in your room vs identifying things to bin. With the stuff left over, choose between putting in a memory box, recycling, charity shop or binning it. It’s easiest if you can have someone else to bin it for you - or it is for me because I don’t like getting rid of things. Try to do it quickly.

Enjoy your relaxing, clutter free room!

Choosing what to put back in your room is completely different from choosing what to take out.

Occasionally you will bin things that in a year’s time, you will wish you had kept. At this point, remind yourself that you’ve enjoyed your clutter-free room for that whole year and it was worth it.

The Marie Kondo idea - something like saying ‘thanks for being there when my kids needed to show their love for me / when I needed your help/ etc’ to your items as you eliminate them - was also helpful to me, but once I got into the habit of taking everything out of a room, I didn’t need that method so much.

Good luck with your decluttering! A relaxing life awaits you! I don’t think I realised how stressful being in a room with lots of stuff was for me, I feel I can breathe easier in emptier rooms. Definitely worth it.

Massive hoarder then when it gets too bad I’m ruthless and throw out everything then repeat (various mental health disabilities)

This is me! But DH is very meticulous about clutter. He gets stressed if the house is untidy/messy. So I try to keep it under control to an extent.

I have a Christmas decorations rule - if I've not used something in more than a year, do I really need it? Also I divide things into three categories: is it useful, sentimental or aesthetically pleasing? If no then it goes.

How does that rule work

do you throw away your Christmas decs every year?

Hoarder unfortunately but I'm beginning to be more ruthless...I hope

Tend to be more of a hoarder, but I surprised myself when we moved a few years ago, I was totally ruthless then the stuff we got rid of was unbelievable and I have never missed one single item.

Ruthless - mess & clutter really affect my mood and I don't feel sentimental/attached to stuff generally.

Hoarder, butttt I have a bag I put things into that I’m unsure I really need and have spells of clear headedness where I’m like, get rid get rid! And I run the bag to a charity shop/put on Freecycle/sell on vinted before I can change my mind. Selling things on has helped. I have never regretted getting rid of anything, it takes a lot of deliberation but it feels so good to let go that I know I should do it more often!

i also though collect rocks (my poor partner) and there are a lot of rocks around the house and I would never through them away but I do let them go in the garden if they’re not too delicate/tiny. When people’s kids come to visit they are fascinated and I do let them take one home if they’re really into it.

My actual house is clutter free but the loft is heaving with stuff that we need to get rid of. We also have a room that is floor to ceiling cupboards. I tackled those cupboards last year and got rid of a third of the stuff. Didn’t buy anything new to fill but DH saw space and has now become obsessed with buying stuff on offer and filling the space. We have one little cat and now because it was on offer enough cat food to feed a shelter.

I keep useful stuff that will be used one day but my husband throws everything out. He says that I'm a hoarder.

Everything I keep is put away so the house is tidy but it drives him mad.

He often chucks stuff out only to find we need it a week later.

It's lucky I love him.

I am glad I hoarded too small clothes in the loft for 15 years when I lost a great deal of weight recently and now they all fit again. I am otherwise quite ruthless.

I don't understand my dh, who has drawer-fuls of cables. They are probably all obsolete. We are moving next year and I am massively encouraging him to get rid of the stuff he's shoved in the loft over the past 20 years. I do not want to transport anything to our new place!

Pretty ruthless,I like things minimal I wanted to actually sell a bunch of stuff that’s no longer used on Vinted last night but it’s not possible as no evri drop off locally. But dh is a bit more of a hoarder, but he keeps it just to his office thankfully

I throw away or donate anything the moment it gets annoying or is in my way. If it's something sentimental, I'll take a photo.

However, you will find me picking up a tiny sequin off the floor if I think it will be useful for my crafting stash!

I'm a book hoarder 😊 other crap I'll throw away

😀 No, they're used once every year! I mean if I have things that are used less often then I question if they're really needed.

I have a sort out every season but I try not to buy things I don’t need. I sell on Vinted and donate household stuff I’m good condition to charity shops. I do keep sentimental stuff but I limit it. I also try to display sentimental stuff. I’ve always been this way but my DM dying 10 years ago makes me keep it up. Don’t want to leave loads of crap for my children to sort.
My DC are now young adults. I have a big box for each with a few things from their baby and childhood days. They are in the loft.

Ruthless. Husband is a hoarder which gets on my last nerve.

Ruthless. I keep a very neat and tidy home which I’m proud of because it’s not always easy. My husband loves to buy small antiques which I try to hide as they’re not my thing and I cannot stand bits and bobs on the dresser or bookshelves irrespective of cost.

Deep down I am a hoarder, I have to work very hard to always throw things out because I love living in a clean, uncluttered and organised home more than anything.

Regular but small amounts to keep on top of it
i think it really helps to limit what comes through your doors