to wonder what is a normal amount of clutter?

[halcyondays]

What do most people keep or not keep by way of sentimental clutter?

and for practical items such as clothes, paperwork, spare duvet sets etc.?

Has anyone manage to reform from being a bit of a hoarder and is so what helped?

thanks

It reached that stage years ago. I just have to be ruthless don't I and put a limit on the 'might come in handy' (it won't cos I won't find it and I'll have to buy another one).

I don't think anyone has said it is?

That's the trouble with the written word, you can't always tell what tone something's written in. Apologies for taking it the wrong way.

I think many of her avid followers have never heard of William Morris. Perhaps MK should have attributed the concept to him?

Do you have link for this. Rose? I don't want to get bogged down with wallpaper.

Hang on, I've just googled it. A complete let-out for hoarders everywhere. :o

I think it is distinct from the useful/beautiful concept personally. It probably depends on how you interpret it.

I don't see the necessity in keeping years of utility bills or bank statements. Though the Windrush generation fiasco gives pause for thought ... they've got the right to be in the UK, they didn't see the need to keep ages old documents, yet they were being asked to produce 4 pieces of evidence for every year they were in the UK. What if a future government were to expect people born here to prove that they hadn't emigrated and then returned? Unthinkable, yes ... but then so was what has been happening to the Windrush generation.

Lots of other reasons to keep documention - eg exercising the inheritance rules whereby unused IHT allowances depends on keeping records - and one spouse may die 30 or more years before the other.

HMRC I think require you to keep records for 7 years - and that would include bank records.

Sorry just a paperwork questions - once we have P60 is is safe to destroy old payslips? I thought we needed to keep financial paperwork for 7 years?

I am trying to be a reformed clutter bug. I spent alot of time last year completely gutting my house & trying my best not to refill it.

Some people dont get the enjoyment of things. I enjoy my things, have pictures on the wall etc and I am a crafter so have lots of things to store but I am getting there :)

DH hates clutter/ mess etc lol

I kept all old payslips (and job offer letters etc).

I have a box (really useful box- type) and it's all in there.

I don't stress with a filing system - they take up too much space. I have a box with all old documents in and a place with current ones. I'm keeping the information together, but slimming down the storage rather than the content.

I have wondered about scanning to file, but never looked into it properly.

I do have some scanned & shredded what I had scanned.

I got a nifty filing frame on amazon that fits in my Ikea kallax box so it's all neat

I only keep payslips for a year.

Paperwork utilities and banks online
payslips keep for a year until get P60 ( if you are self employed you need to keep all related paperwork at least 7 years)
Insurance current one only
receipts for important stuff until guarantee runs out
Certificates birth marriage divorce exams house deeds keep originals and ideally a spare copy elsewhere, if dealing with a death get at least 2 copies ( ideally these together with passports and driving licences in a small fire proof safe)

There is a fine balance between enough stuff, too much and not enough, e.g you do not want to have to go and buy new sellotape everytime you need it but you do not need 6 rolls

Clothes only what fits and is worn regularly, the only exceptions I would make are a wedding dress or expensive formal clothes or specific sporting clothes for a sport you still do, if you go skiing every 2nd winter keep the stuff if you haven't been for 10 years sell or bin

Food enough for a week or two in case you get ill, break a leg or bad weather, medication at least 2 weeks worth

Things like books /art/ ornaments etc depend on space if you have room for 3 bookcases that's fine if not you need to be picky

Don't keep something because Aunty Flo bought it for you 22nd birthday and you don't like it

Don't keep broken/ damaged/ torn stuff unless you really honestly can repair it and reuse it and will do so in next 2 weeks

Photos don't keep ones when you don't know who the people are in them or where they were taken, historic ones keep but not necessarily all of them and carefully write in pencil on the back who, when and where so your children know this is the only picture of their great great grandmother that was born in 1886 for instance

Keepsakes for my DD I have first babygro and dress, her first shoes, hospital name tag and one hand crocheted blanket set which she can have as heirloom it's beautiful, I have kept a very small selection of toys a small box useful for visiting families myparents kept a few of our toys so DD has my old lego and board games to play with when we visit also a few classic books like Rupert etc I photograph the best pictures and keep in a file I display the originals in a certain place so when another comes one existing one is removed, Keep school reports but not their maths exercise books
DD is much better at getting rid of toys she has outgrown now she is allowed to keep any money they make or decide which charity she wants them to go to

I think it is distinct from the useful/beautiful concept personally. It probably depends on how you interpret it.

Well, they both mention "useful", and I'd say that "beautiful* and "bring you joy" means pretty much the same thing, as beautiful objects bring you joy.

I guess an exception could be if you had a beautiful object that was very fragile, or worth a lot of money, and owning it meant you were too anxious that it would get broken or something. Then the anxiety would rob you of the joy, so it would be better to let someone else, who can appreciate it fully, have it.

But there are probably many people who haven't heard of William Morris, so it's good that someone current is popularising the sentiment.

I don't agree, I think you can hold onto a lot of useless stuff by thinking that they might be useful, which Kondo has a thing against. It's about the joy in the utility of the item which is a different thing. Also I think you can get sucked into thinking about things that others insist are useful whereas you may not actually find it necessary at all. For me the Kondo method makes you think more clearly about the actual purpose of the item and whether it's the right fit.

Likewise you could have something joyful which you know isn't beautiful at all, like an old beloved teddy or simply a gadget which is useless but fun. And something beautiful isn't any good if it makes you feel guilty or beholden.

Of course you can definitely interpret the Morris statement in a similar way so it still works. But for me the Kondo method was definitely a new way to look at things.