Too Much Stuff!!

[Quiet and Shy]

From today's Chicago Tribune....

The booming self-storage industry taps into Americans' boundless ability to accumulate

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... i-news-hed

Jimmy started singing about it back in the '70's in "One Particular Harbour"...then in "If It All Falls Down" and again in "Sometimes I Just Need My Guitar".

It used to be "they lived through the depression; they've done without so they save things." As a kid, I remember my grandfather tying the little pieces of string (from around the daily paper) end to end in case he needed string....

But today...it's amazing how much stuff we all have. We Americans are very prolific consumers...and we like to save a lot. The neighbors behind me...OMG! They built a stand-alone 2-car garage (in addition to the garage attached to the house) and have never been able to get one vehicle in the garages (and the RV in their driveway is full, too). My sister loves books, and magazines, and papers, and newsletters...I don't think she's thrown out a one since grade school....

I have too many clothes and shoes (when I was BNer of the day and counted my pairs of shoes...I felt like the Imelda Marcos of BN ). But what if I get a job where I have to go back to business attire? I have clothes I haven't worn in 5-10 years! If I lose a couple pounds "x" will fit well again. And those shoes go with that dress...that I haven't worn since...? Also, I still have all my books and notes from grad school...but what if I need to refer to those again? And, I've never really sorted through all those pictures I've taken of who knows what and where....

Do you rent self-storage space?

What do you have too much of?

[z-man]

The garage fills up with "stuff" and gets purged every few years.

The closets get emptied somewhat regularly for Goodwill contributions.

The one thing that is hard to get rid of is books!
We have way too many bookshelves of paperbacks, but we do re-read most of them.

[PHDiane]

I have filled 5 garbage cans today !!!!!!!!

I live with a pack rat.....he's not here today so I'm have a field day

[Conolulu]

I was very guilty of that.....

When I left the island for what I thought might be a permanent move last year??? ( and lasted 7 weeks away.. )....I rented a dumpster..and emptied it TWICE....

AND gave clothes, etc...to GoodWill, the Churches, etc.....I had really pared down....

Moved back...pared down some more....

Now it's time to do it again after a year and a half back home...I've started swapping paperbacks at a store that has a shelf for them...and don't keep them anymore.......

I stopped buying shoes that aren't worth walking in.....(ok ok...except for flip flops....I bet I have 30 pairs, just because they were "cute")

Got rid of clothes I haven't worn in 3 yrs.....

and got 2 Hefty Bags out of my bedroom on Friday alone.....

Downstairs closet under the stairs is next Tuesday... Now THAT is going to be a chore.....but it has to be done....

I started thinking if I had to move again what a PITA it would be.....???

and I just don't want to go there again....I want to be able to walk in a closet and just pack it.....Tired of this stuff...

Funny....we spend our youth accumulating things....and find the older I get....The less I need/want.......

Simplicity ....it's the best way to be......

Thanks for the kick in the rear Alison...

[pbans]

I have too much of everything.....I am one of those weird people who has a hard time getting rid of things. I am emotionally connected to "stuff"....

I have a collector mentality.......I like things.....most things, nothing specific....shiny things, pretty things, things that smell good, toys....esp if they are related to movies/TV.....I like dolls, a lot.

I have a houseful of stuff and a storage shed full of stuff.......

I'm not one of those weird people that hoards used aluminum foil or cats or rocks.....but I have a hard time letting go of anything remotely sentimental.....

[Tequila Revenge]

From today's Chicago Tribune....

The booming self-storage industry taps into Americans' boundless ability to accumulate

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... i-news-hed

Jimmy started singing about it back in the '70's in "One Particular Harbour"...then in "If It All Falls Down" and again in "Sometimes I Just Need My Guitar".

It used to be "they lived through the depression; they've done without so they save things." As a kid, I remember my grandfather tying the little pieces of string (from around the daily paper) end to end in case he needed string....

But today...it's amazing how much stuff we all have. We Americans are very prolific consumers...and we like to save a lot. The neighbors behind me...OMG! They built a stand-alone 2-car garage (in addition to the garage attached to the house) and have never been able to get one vehicle in the garages (and the RV in their driveway is full, too). My sister loves books, and magazines, and papers, and newsletters...I don't think she's thrown out a one since grade school....

I have too many clothes and shoes (when I was BNer of the day and counted my pairs of shoes...I felt like the Imelda Marcos of BN ). But what if I get a job where I have to go back to business attire? I have clothes I haven't worn in 5-10 years! If I lose a couple pounds "x" will fit well again. And those shoes go with that dress...that I haven't worn since...? Also, I still have all my books and notes from grad school...but what if I need to refer to those again? And, I've never really sorted through all those pictures I've taken of who knows what and where....

Do you rent self-storage space?

What do you have too much of?

No self storage, but still too much stuff. Been sorting and purging all year; books, (MAN IS THAT HARD TO PART WITH BOOKS!!!) clothes, assorted stuff, good stuff, old stuff, stuff stuff.... today it's time to clean and purge the flytying table/corner/encroaching on Mrs. TR's computer space And let's not get prsonal about other's garages It's not even winter yet

[Desdamona]

I like to blame my total dusty clutter on the fact that both my parents,
my brother, and my aunt all died in the last 10 years, and I'm dealing
with all their accumulated stuff. However... hubby and I now have three
houses FULL and a storage unit that we got for my brother's stuff. We
absolutely no need for 95% of what we are tripping over! Life would be
so much more pleasant without it all. Why can't I part with the trash???
Dr. Phil!!! I NEED YOU!!!!!

[pbans]

I like to blame my total dusty clutter on the fact that both my parents,
my brother, and my aunt all died in the last 10 years, and I'm dealing
with all their accumulated stuff. However... hubby and I now have three
houses FULL and a storage unit that we got for my brother's stuff. We
absolutely no need for 95% of what we are tripping over! Life would be
so much more pleasant without it all. Why can't I part with the trash???
Dr. Phil!!! I NEED YOU!!!!!

I hear you, Des.
My Mom's stuff is in the storage shed and I KNOW that I need to deal with it and most of it I can't/shouldn't keep.....but I can bring myself to get rid of it. Intellectually, I KNOW I won't forget her if I get rid of the stuff....but emotionally, it makes me feel better knowing that it's there. It's costing my $90 a month to keep it.....so I really do need to do SOMETHING.
Let me know what Phil says....

[Desdamona]

Let me know what Phil says....

I've seen those shows. He says we have control issues, like
we have little control over much in our lives, so we keep stuff
around that we feel we do have control over. But I do not feel
the least bit in control of all this junk. I can't even get past the
stacked up clothes I don't/can't wear to get to the closets full
of even more clothes I haven't even seen in 10 years. I guess
the most appealing idea is renting those dumpsters... but then
I'd probably just keep them too. STOP THE INSANITY!!!

[Tequila Revenge]

I forgot to mention my yard looks like a small nursery. My son brings home stray plants to nures back to health

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I have too much of everything.....I am one of those weird people who has a hard time getting rid of things. I am emotionally connected to "stuff"....

I have a collector mentality.......I like things.....most things, nothing specific....shiny things, pretty things, things that smell good, toys....esp if they are related to movies/TV.....I like dolls, a lot.

I have a houseful of stuff and a storage shed full of stuff.......

I'm not one of those weird people that hoards used aluminum foil or cats or rocks.....but I have a hard time letting go of anything remotely sentimental.....

I'm so much like you, Paige! I have such a hard time getting rid of stuff, I attach too much meaning to it. Stuffed animals are the toughest, they have so much sentimental meaning for me. I've been really good recently tho. I have spent the last two weeks purging my stuff in anticipation of a move. I'm doing it now while I have the time, so I won't have to panic when the time comes. Since I also had to kitten proof my house, it came at a good time. Goodwill has been my best friend, the garbage men hate me. And I am seriously considering so covert dumpster runs at my old place of employment...I gave them 18 years, the least they can do is let me use the dumpster.

Books are hard for me to get rid of too, but I take them to the used bookstore that the library runs, since our libraries have no funding anymore. Every little bit helps.

I even pared down my snowman collection. That was not easy, but those items will bring joy to someone else. That's how I have to look at it.

I do have a storage facility...it's full of my Christmas stuff and all the stuff from work that was packed up while I was on medical leave. I don't even want to go thru all that...ugh. I think half of it probably belongs to the district...I got that idea when my friends were helping me move it into the storage place (they had been storing it for me in their garage) and one of them was carrying the American flag down the hallway. That wasn't mine, it belonged to the school!

And now that I've taken a break, it's back to more purging.

[Wino you know]

I'm known as the President and founder of the A.A.P.R.A.*
*Amalgamated Association of Pack Rats of America

The longer I live, the more crap I accumulate.
Stuff that wouldn't mean much to most, but mostly memories and mementoes of various parts of my life.
There's also lots of things around here that aren't really that special, but were given to me as gifts by people who ARE special to me, thereby MAKING them special, hence, I don't throw them out. Nor would I ever.

It's gotten so bad, that my wife is pressuring me to make a decision-less stuff in THIS house, or we buy a BIGGER house.
Just what I need to hear after this crappy summer I just went through.

[ejr]

Then I must be a charter member of AAPRA! Way too many times I have seen others get rid of something only to need it the next week.

And I stockpile some household items-the theory being-if you will use it, have room to store it, it won't spoil, and it won't go down in price, buy when it is on sale. So......... if there is ever a shortage of bottled water, or tp, or paper towels, or lightbulbs etc---I will be in great shape!

And I occasionally try to get rid of stuff but it is awfully hard. years ago, I packed up boxes and boxes of old books and donated them to a book sale--then made the mistake of going to the book sale, seeing what bargains some of them were, and buying some of them back

[Dally]

I am definately a pack rat......I can't stand to get rid of anything that has even an ounce of sentimental value........I've actually been trying to get motivated to actually go through everything and throw out and/or donate a whole bunch of the accumlated "stuff"

I still have work/pictures and stuff that *I* did in kindergarten.

[pbans]

I still have work/pictures and stuff that *I* did in kindergarten.

me too....

[Feathers Flashing]

I even pared down my snowman collection.....

Hmmmm....

I would have thought that warm weather would have taken care of that....

?? ??

I REFUSE to rent storage space....its bad enough that i've spent so much for all this stuff!!! And its so hard to throw away anything someone could use, even if I dont....

But i discovered at least a partial answer.....MOVE!! There's nothing like having to move to harden your resolve....2 years ago i moved from a 1 bedroom apartment with plentiful closets to a modest studio with one small closet. It took me weeks to throw out or otherwise dispose of huge quantities of stuff....and i still have too much!! May have to move again soon!!

[Dezdmona]

I'm so relieved to hear some of these stories...

Most of what I keep has sentimental value (family history stuff of those long gone), but I've also acquired many of my own things along the way.
These things are easier to thin out from time to time.

I make a point to ALWAYS say yes to the charity organizations when they call, even if I only give a little, I figure I'm making progress on my and/or my son's stuff. But my DH is another matter....

But my husband is a total pack rat. He can't even get rid of socks that are stretched out, I bet he has clothes that he hasn't worn for 20 years. He's always telling me that we need to clean out, but he just can't let go of any his stuff.

Then there is our son and his toys...they are everywhere.
I've just got to get rid of more of these toys!

[rogue]

I am a pack rat by nature too, however I have had 7 moves in the last ten years. I was forced to get rid of stuff. I heard a " rule of thumb" that says if you haven't worn an item of clothes in one year or more; you won't use it. I tried it and found that it's true. If I haven't worn something in a year; I have bought something to replace it or I don't wear the whole outfit. To ACTUALLY get the clothes out of the house, for me, it is easiest to find a local women's shelter. I feel better knowing someone who REALLY needs them is getting them.

I use that rule for almost everything now. If I haven't read the book or used the material in a certain amount of time; I get rid of it. I have found a way somewhere to replace it or do without. I don't have as much clutter and life is much simpler. And I sleep easier.

Btw My neice Christen helped with the smileys.

[LIPH]

To steal a couple of lines from a Delbert McClinton song -
Too much stuff
Too much stuff
You know you can't get a grip
When you're slipping in all that stuff

[ragtopW]

So this afternoon I am going through
some Stuff for my upcoming hunting trip
I start pulling out t shirts that I can't
wear to work.. and are a little worn
to wear "out"
I have over 30.
so after they are washed they will be
tried on and thinned out..

and that does not count the 15 or so I already
put in a bag to go to the thrift shop.