Do you ever regret throwing things out?

[beebopper6]

Have you ever gotten rid of something in a fit of decluttering then regretted it ever since?

I really need to do a gigantic declutter but find it so hard to let go of even small things in case I'll need them again later!

Oooh I bought scoop on eBay in lockdown, I had a happy afternoon reading the newspaper articles and have played it as well , that game is going nowhere now.

Check out the #orjenise trend. Get rid of 100 items in September.

Haha this! My dh is notable for keeping things “in case” but I love to throw away. Not used it for a year or more (not season specific things like beach kit) it’s out.

My mother had a gold lustre coffee set, tiny cups and saucers, milk jug, sugar bowl and spouted pot. I kept them for ages after she downsized, eventually I realised we were never going to use them, we have filter coffee in bigger cups. So I gave them to Sue Ryder.
three weeks later DH bought a Nespresso machine.

Nah, I love getting rid of stuff and I feel sincerely sorry for anyone who has a compulsion to hoard.

• some Ted Baker sheepskin boots
• a couple of fairly expensive coats
• my Chalet School books (re-bought these)

Yes, when I was a teenager I gave away the Barbie/Sindy clothes my gran had hand made for me when I was a younger child.
She was a dressmaker and seamstress and knitter, and one Christmas she had clearly spent many months making them for me. They filled a massive cardboard box. I'm talking ballgowns, tiny knitted dresses, hats, jumpers, wedding dresses, tiny bags, everything under the sun. Beautifully made.

I often wonder where they ended up, I would love to have them back. It's one of the only things I've ever truly regretted giving away.

Really wish I'd kept my old 1980s clothes - my DD now loves wearing 'vintage' and there were some really nice items I wish I'd kept.

Never - but have always had minimal possessions due to moving about 15 times in last 10 years!

I'm on a major declutter and have got rid of 2,500 items since last June. There's so much easy stuff that I haven't had to make any hard decisions yet and therefore haven't missed anything. Just start with easy stuff (outgrown kids clothes is my easy) and see how you go.

I did have regrets about a lovely dress I missed- then I remembered that it wasn't decluttered, it went in the rag bag when it fell apart.

100% recommend A Slob comes Clean for this.

I got rid of some childhood classic books my mum got me. I rarely looked at them but regret getting rid.

Yes, all my vinyl from the 80's. I'd got everything on CD so figured they were cluttering.

I really regret that now.

Sometimes. I can be a bit overzealous in decluttering sometimes!

But mostly getting rid of stuff I never use turns out to be a good idea.

I got rid of everything child related 20 years ago apart from a few special toys and books the grown up children said they would like to keep
Ive had to rebuy some of the stuff for grandchild care! I could easily have just stored more in the attic.
But at least the charities have had donations and money from me!
Most stuff is replaceable though.

I do regret throwing things out because for one thing, you sometimes give it little thought and can't remember what it was that you've chucked and can't remember if it's still at the back of a cupboard, then waste time searching for said item. I'm more careful/reluctant to get rid these days.

Indeed…but I had probably 40 games, some of which are going for rather more than £30. It just seems such a shame!

Loads of stuff I regret getting rid of:
Children's books

Clothes - I always end up thinking 'I'll wear X today' only to realise I donated x to the charity shop because I hadn't worn it for ages. One day I'll learn that I will always want to wear it again sometime if I liked it in the first place.

Shoes and handbags - the worst was a pair of shoes I hadn't worn for 3 years, and then 6 months after getting rid of them they would have been perfect to go with a bridesmaid's outfit but instead I had to buy new, that was an expensive mistake

Loads of kitchen equipment (I didn't want to get rid of that, was persuaded to, none of the replacement stuff is as good as the old things)

Children's toys and clothes. I should have kept at least a few baby things as keepsakes, but we had no space at the time. I really regret those most of all.

I bought a pair of vintage Levi jeans in London in the 80s. Had a special red seam or something 😂 Got rid of them in a house move. Only item of clothing I regret giving away, would love them now.

I keep a sort of 'halfway house' box in the spare room for discarded clothes and books [mostly paperbacks bought in charity shops for something to read] so I can retrieve stuff if I have second thoughts.
If the box is full and I honestly can't remember what's in there then off it goes.

The coffee grinder. I ended up buying another one when I accidentally bought unground beans during the lock down

My Bill Gibb pink crepe wrap around skirt, didn’t actually throw it out but donated it to a charity shop. Why Viques, why?

I regret getting rid of my original Gameboy and 80's My Little Ponies, I genuinely loved those toys!

All the time, I was ruthless in my early 20s and chucked out lots of my childhood school reports, books, etc and then when I had children wished I had kept it all to look back on. However, I feel so much better when I declutter, "stuff" everywhere gets me down.

Yes 🙈 I'm a thrower outer and DH is a hoarder. I won't let him have the satisfaction of knowing I should've kept something I threw out though 😂

Yes. I tried to just be really tough about it and wholesale chuck out stuff that I didn't want to get rid of. but thought I should.
It caused both financial and psychological problems, though I didn't see the psychological impact till later.

But I now accept that despite being tidy and clean the reason I find letting go of stuff so hard is because I am actually a hoarder whether I like it or not.

It's hard to stand up and say, but I have a problem, and it wont be properly fixed by me pretending otherwise or
trying to just randomly throw out the symptoms.

So I'm doing work on myself and what the attachments and decision making issues are really about, while I de-clutter, and this time I'm doing much better at letting go of stuff without negative consequences.

I've Dm'd a link to something you might find useful.