To think that everyone has this much “stuff”

[Mumonthedge]

Im moving next week. It’s me, my husband and my DD1. I have lots of clothes but I don’t like to accumulate lots of stuff. My husband has lots of clothes and lots of “stuff”. Hates throwing anything away.

I have a tiny house at the moment but didn’t think I had THAT much stuff. Please tell me I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that you own when moving!

I'm constantly getting rid of things and selling on Ebay etc and we still have so much stuff. It's overwhelming sometimes.

Before my daughter was born I got rid of so so much. I think I need to start living the minimalist life. If only my husband would get on board….

Yeah we’ve lots of stuff. I struggle to throw things away (not to an extreme level) but will keep jumpers I’m ambivalent about in case I ever want to wear them when I’ve not worn them in over a year, etc.

I am constantly getting rid of stuff, but still despair at how much I have.

We have accumulated an excessive amount of stuff since having kids. I never have time to go through my own things anymore to decide if I need them or not.

We have hardly any stuff. I can't stand cupboards full of stuff that's never even looked at, let alone used.

We've always had a minimal approach to stuff. Everything is easier to find when you want it, surfaces easier to keep clean, everything put neatly away, etc. We've even stopped buying Christmas presents as it's just more stuff for the sake of it.

mmm... i had friends who were minimalists. Not in an idealistic way, but in a "we can't afford a bigger house" way. They ended up paying more for things because they only bought when strictly necessary but also immediately necessary, not when they found a bargain.

Someone in DH's family kept trying to throw away the children's toys: cue unhappy children.

I eyeball everything in my house with mind towards getting rid & it's still too much stuff, but I don't want to be minimalist, either.

So what is this? Despite you thinking you didn't have THAT much stuff it turns out that you actually DID? And?

Woah, she's just making conversation!

I’m somewhere in the middle - veering more towards minimalism.
I know what is in 95% of my cupboards but there is always stuff that needs sorting.
I feel overwhelmed when I visit close family who are keep lots of clutter…for example my mum has an entire drawer or two full of greeting cards. That would be ok if she used them but she doesn’t. She just keeps buying and she will never get through them all. That is one tiny example of the extent of it. Ditto food cupboards and especially alcohol - doesn’t drink and has random bottles/liqueurs out of date.

As am I?

Totally agree, we travelled for a year in our 40s and it really focused our minds on what we needed .... but now I seem to have accumulating loads more stuff. I manage a charity shop and the absolute rubbish we are given after a bereavement is shocking, people just don't like sorting out their own stuff so leave it until it's too late.

Conversation? With the CAPITALS and the question marks when it's not really an actual question? It comes across rude and intense.

We moved to a much bigger house three years ago and I've started to look around and despair at the level of stuff we have. It never feels tidy, I feel like I add storage and it all gets filled up. One of my friends is extremely minimalist in her outlook and I've invited her to mine to help me clear 😁

I am quite ruthless....get rid of clothes and anything unused...have also learnt that more shelves and cupboards = more junk.....birthday soon and i am already depressed at the thought of a mountain of useless gifts i will receive from a friend who is very wealthy....i take 99% of it to charity shops etc....i have said i dont need or want anything but each year the gifts keep coming....

I still have loads, I'd rather hang on to it as everything is so expensive and I wear old clothes around the house, new stuff is such bad quality mostly

We have what I think to most people would be very little stuff. (But to true minimalists of the three pairs of underpants and one book variety would be loads.) It still sometimes feels like too much and things are periodically given away. I think if you get to the point where you are not sure whether or not you own something, you definitely have too much stuff.

Are you the OPs mum and that's why you're rushing to her rescue? I used CAPITALS because I was parodying the OPs initial post which I thought was obvious...?

yes so overwhelmed at the amount of stuff in my house I'm currently trying to have a clear out as I've got workmen coming in next week. I must admit I've become a bit of a hoarder and find it hard to part with things especially the dcs old clothes and toys as I find them incredibly sentimental. just wish I could get a grip and passed this issue as its mostly clothes and toys that's causing the most clutter. I seem to suffer huge anxiety about parting with things. I'd love to be more minimalist. tidy house tidy mind and all that.

We have loads of stuff….it just adds up! Dog toys are my nemesis! Issue is she’s cute, people just seem to want to buy her stuff! BUT she only likes balls or one very specific type of cuddly toy!

last year I made a New Years resolution to not buy any cloths, unless I had a gift card, for 1 full year. And so far, I’ve not bought a single item of clothing. I seriously need some new socks, my jeans have seen better day too but other than that it’s been such a good experience (dare I say a detox!). I got a zara voucher for my birthday… I’m struggling to use it! I’ve had it for months! (I don’t like their jeans or socks!).

I don't have much stuff at all. DH has fucking tonnes. All manner of crap accumulated through his whole life. His parents loft is full of it too and they keep threatening to bring it round. Why does he need his GCSE coursework?!?! I've told him if he dies first it's all going in a skip so what is the actual point in it.

I mean clearly you're not rude and intense, what was I thinking

I think that stuff accumulates to fill the space you have. When I was a teenager, I had a room full of stuff. Then as a student in a small flat, I had a flat full of stuff. Now I have a two bed house full of stuff. My childhood possessions could fit easily in a car. My student flat possessions could fit in two rooms of this house easily. My current possessions... not so much. I dread to think what it'll be like by the time I die. And I'm not looking forward to clearing out my parents' place when they die - they have a 4 bed house with many sheds and outbuildings with 50+ years' worth of crap.

it always seems like more when you pack up! But moving is such a good process for the purposes of getting rid. We have minimal stuff and I think it’s because as a couple we’ve lived in 9 properties plus a year back packing.

We downsized and before the move, decluttered and only kept what was absolutely necessary. A few years down the line and we have loads of stuff again 😩