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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 11:19:05 AM   
snappykappy


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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 11:27:57 AM   
LaTigresse


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quote:

ORIGINAL: subtlebutterfly

My parents drive me nuts...don't even get me started yanno!
The accumulated stuff goes nowhere, because "you MIGHT need it (......after a decade or two..or THREE)" throw away or give away things is a no-no aaaaaaaaand...

I'm in way too much rant mood today for this question, but you get the point.



Well well!! Someone needs a tude adjustment!


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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 11:33:38 AM   
subtlebutterfly


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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 11:54:19 AM   
Arpig


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quote:

When is it too much? When do you say to yourself "I don't need this, I can let it go now"?
When its in your way.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 12:26:13 PM   
Toppingfrmbottom


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Status: offline 		For me it's when it's no longer sentimental, or I remember the sentimentent attached to it but am ok with getting rid of it anyway. Or when I am just plain sick and tired of walking around it and storing it and holding onto it, and I know I wno't use it or do anything with it, it's been 4 years already and if you aint used the fabric or craft item by now shit or get off the pot. And I don't have time frames or anything it can be very quick or slow. Yes I have had so much stuff it took up a whole side of our  garage, and a whole back bed room and continued to spill out onto the screned in porch. I still have most the stuff too,  After a year or more of talking about it my dad finally went through with making a storage shelf unit, and the stuff  finally got put up neatly, so it's all still there, but it's off the ground and out of the way
quote:

ORIGINAL: CarrieO


What I'm wondering is when can you let something go?  Sentimental things or collections you no longer collect?  I found a plastic bin of beanie babies (remember those things?) at a friend's house that she had forgotten about.  We gave them to the thrift store and she was laughing while saying "it was so important for me to collect those darn things and look how important they are now".

Has it reached a point for anyone where you need to rent a storage unit or devote a room (or 2) just to storage of "useful items"?  How much is enough?




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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 12:28:46 PM   
sirsholly


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quote:

"What is it that makes us store elsewhere all the stuff we accumulate?" and it got me thinking. When is it too much? When do you say to yourself "I don't need this, I can let it go now"?
On a very helpful home cleaning site it was suggested that we throw out 5 things per day...and i am not talking used coffee grounds or yesterdays newspaper.

I do this all the time and, over time, the clutter had decreased a great deal.


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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 12:33:10 PM   
VirginPotty


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Status: offline 		I keep TRYING to get rid of her ^^^^^^^ but some junk just has a way of finding its way back to you.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 1:11:34 PM   
DesFIP


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Status: offline 		We went through the horse stuff this summer. Two horses and ten years later, it's amazing how much stuff we had that is never used. That we took to the tack shop and put it up for consignment. Eventually she'll sell it and we'll buy new stuff with the money. I'm still wondering how we wound up with a huge bucket full of bits, mostly unused. I've decided they're like hangers, they multiply in the closet.

Freecycle here has a warehouse at the local dump. Rarely do they have anything we need though.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 1:27:08 PM   
pahunkboy


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Status: offline 		Here is the thing. Sort your junk.

I often forget I have a widget- and go buy another widget.

If I know what I have THEN I can allocate it.  But I cant if I forget what I have and where it is at.

I would keep a spare coffee maker.  I drink coffee every day.

But do I need old magazine?   Worn out socks?    What about endless papers?

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 4:01:59 PM   
VanIsleKnight


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Status: offline 		I want to work myself down to a sort of minimalist approach when it comes to "things and stuff" I have at home.  It's going to take awhile because I've a bit of an attachment to a fair amount of the things that I have, and I get that feeling where I'm going to want something after I get rid of it. 

Sadly it doesn't help that I've experienced that quite a bit, I figure I'm done with something, book, movie, game, and get rid of it.  Then a few months later I find myself -really- wanting to pick up what I sold/gave away and have another go at it.  Bloody irritating really, there are a few things I've bought more then once.

Ideally though I'd be able to get myself down to being able to put the majority of my stuff into two sturdy containers, then my bed and a small desk with chair.  Course when I get older I'll probably be wishing I -kept- all of the stuff I tossed when I move into my first home.


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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 5:16:20 PM   
SthrnCom4t


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Status: offline 		It needs to go if you wouldn't keep it if you were relocating. Do a google search for Freecycle in your area. It's a yahoo group list that keeps things out of the landfills, if you don't want to spend time taking things to Goodwill, or it's not appropriate for a thrift store. Also, I am a Craigslist junkie, and I love getting bargains for household goods there.

If you aren't loving it, it deserves to go to a home that will.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 5:34:16 PM   
kiwisub12


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Status: offline 		When i moved into Sirs house, i took my art, my quilting fabric, and my books.     Oh, and a few clothes   - but no nighties lol.  These are the things that matter to me. The rest is replacable.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 5:42:39 PM   
littlewonder


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Status: offline 		If I haven't used it in a year, if it serves no purpose, I get rid of it. I hate clutter and garbage. If it wasn't for having a clutterbug kid in the house I'd have a minimalistic house.

To me it's just stuff that collects dust and dirt. If it has no purpose why do I have it? I rarely buy something unless I feel it will get some wear and tear.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 5:43:58 PM   
CarrieO


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quote:

ORIGINAL: VanIsleKnight

I want to work myself down to a sort of minimalist approach when it comes to "things and stuff" I have at home. 



Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions.  I guess I should have been a bit clearer with the purpose of my starting this thread.

This all started as more of a rhetorical question using my current "life shift" as an example along with the linked NYTimes Magazine article.  I was curious how others approach the "how much is enough?" and "how do you let go of things from the past that once had meaning but not anymore?" questions.

Part of my job is working as an organizer, of sorts, so I'm a big believer in utilizing resources like thrift shops, freecycle, freemesa.org and passing on to friends what they can use.  I'm just making my way back to VanIsleKnight's minimalist approach and was curious if these thoughts had ever occurred to anyone else.

Given that I only live in a 400sq ft cottage and my next step will most likely be to something smaller ( I have a major small/tiny house fascination/love), the less is more approach is always the best for me.  The painting and artsy/craftsy stuff does have a way of taking up space and I wonder if a small art shed might be the next step.

Again..thanks for the replies. 

< Message edited by CarrieO -- 9/10/2009 5:47:18 PM >

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 5:46:33 PM   
kiwisub12


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Status: offline 		Not a small shed!!!!     A studio!

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 5:49:34 PM   
CarrieO


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quote:

ORIGINAL: kiwisub12

Not a small shed!!!!     A studio!


Well, given that I've sold my first painting ( pardon while I do my little jig of joy!) a studio makes sense.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 6:03:16 PM   
LookieNoNookie


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quote:

ORIGINAL: CarrieO

I've finally hit a point where I'm closing one chapter of my life and, hopefully, moving onto the next.  Part of the preparation for this change is releasing some of the stuff I've collected over the years.  Now, don't get me wrong...I'm far from being a pack rat.  I do seasonal cleaning out...1 year for clothes and 6 months for other stuff.  Heck, my place is small...about the size of some storage units  and the thought of allowing things to pile up isn't something I allow.

That being said...do I really need to keep all the Mother Earth News magazines I've been recieving for the past 5 years or boxes of cassettes (old school...I know) that can't play anymore because I got rid of my cassette player?  What about the 2 coffee makers I have 'just in case' or the rowing machine that will NEVER get used?

I read an article in Sunday's New York Times Magazine...HERE ...that asks the question "What is it that makes us store elsewhere all the stuff we accumulate?" and it got me thinking.  When is it too much?  When do you say to yourself  "I don't need this, I can let it go now"?

*edited because my 'e' key doesn't always work...ugh!


It's too much when you haven't....:

Read it, looked at it, wanted to look at it, moved it to another room at least 3 times, when you've thought about tossing it (but haven't) at least twice, had friends say "why the FUCK are you keeping that?" (at least once), wondered where you'd find space for it (or wondered why you're creating space for it), tripped over it, moved it to another place (certain it was worth keeping...but you knew better when you moved it the first time), wanted to move it (but better sense told you not to....and then it labored in an unapproved space for far too long), wished you'd moved it (because some bullshit presence told you you needed to save it...and of course...."it" was wrong)....

(That's when it's too much).

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/10/2009 7:04:39 PM   
anthrosub


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Status: offline 		I'm in the process of moving right now. I look at things and ask myself if I've used it in the past 3 years and if not, either toss it or put it on Craig's List if it's worth the trouble. Some things you will not use that often so they don't count. I also exempt things like books, LP's, CD's, and such but you can pretty much weed out a bunch of stuff using maybe 3 or four categories to determine what to do with them.

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/11/2009 2:41:26 AM   
soul2share


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Status: offline 		Well, everytime I move, I thin stuff out....I inevitably have boxes of things that sat in a closet for however long that I never needed, nor even missed.  That junk is the first thing that goes.  Suprisingly enough, I haven't accumulated alot of things this time....just furniture that I'll keep, cuz I don't have alot.  I can be a terrible pack rat......the only thing that I'll save forever are my favorite books.....I am moving two boxes of them with me, and that was even after I went thru them and sorted out the ones I didn't want anymore.

I have learned how NOT to accumulate stuff.....it's been tough, cuz there are times when I want something that sounds good to start with, but I know I will eventually stick in a cupboard someplace and never touch again.  If I'm in a store, and pick up something that fits this description, I'll walk around with it.....about 99% of the time, I'll end up NOT buying it.  But it's tough to teach yourself to think like that.  Kitchen gadgets are my downfall......everything from utensils to gizmos.....but again, I'm getting better at putting things back, or not even picking them up in the first place.  I can usually talk myself out of buying them.

The closet rule is the one I use for getting rid of things.....if I have to wash the dust off of it because it's so thick it won't blow off, then it's outta here. 

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RE: Accumulated stuff...what do you do with it? - 9/11/2009 8:42:17 AM   
petmonkey


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Status: offline 		Eventually; once the sorting, donating and selling is out of the way, i make a found object sculpture out of it and leave it in public space on the sly.  Boring Chore, meet Fun Hobby.

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