[Nancy Jocoy]

IF you are, get OVER IT.

I am taking off a few days of work to go through some 25 years of accumulated stuff and a mountain of paperwork that has either moved with us or been kept for some reason or the other.

I don't think ANY ONE needs 25 year old IRS records.......or operation manuals for purchases that have long since made it to the landfill. Of course you have to sort through that - Old property records forever used to establish basis - keep differeent than old bank statements --- aggggh

It is simply amazing how much *stuff* you can accumulate in 25 years of marraige - and to think that when I was young, I spent 1+ month living only with what I could carry on the back of a bicycle.

Sorry about my musings - this is definitely tedious but with kids grown we are trying to SIMPLIFY things a whole lot!

 

[Connie Sutherland]

I can't wait to hear how many pounds (or tons) ends up in the trash.

 

[susan tuck]

The last time I moved, I came across boxes of stuff that I hadn't opened from the previous move. I figured if I hadn't needed that junk for 14 years I wouldn't be needing it ever again, so I blindly tossed & tossed. It was very liberating!

 

[Konnie Hein]

After you're done, please call my husband to tell him how great you feel and what a relief it is that you are free of the burden of all that stuff! He's a huge pack rat, and I am definitely not. Makes for an interesting marriage anyways.

 

[Bob Scott]

I haven't seen the floor or walls of my 25x30ft garage in years.
HEY! I might need that 1950 Ford hubcap some day. :lol: :lol:

 

[Nancy Jocoy]

I can't wait to hear how many pounds (or tons) ends up in the trash.

I started last night and I am on my fifth kitchen trasn bag STUFFED with paper of course shredding relevant stuff.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

The last time I moved, I came across boxes of stuff that I hadn't opened from the previous move. I figured if I hadn't needed that junk for 14 years I wouldn't be needing it ever again, so I blindly tossed & tossed. It was very liberating!

That's a great way to go, IMO!

Also, there's the more generic "If I haven't used/worn/read it in two years, out it goes."

And the always-good "Anything new coming in has to be balanced by something old going OUT." :lol:

 

[Debbie High]

Nancy, You are going to feel soooo much better when you're finished. It is nice to not feel like something is going to jump out of a closest when you walk by......the down side is I just simplified my life about 6 months ago and now I need to do it again!!!! I really wonder where all the crap comes from...... :lol: :lol:

Bob, You sound like my husband!!! Course Katrina cleared out much of his "family heirlooms".

Debbie

 

[Bob Scott]

Every time, EVERY TIME that I've convinced myself to clean the garage, withing a week I needed something I threw out cause I hadn't used it in years. !!EVERY TIME!! :evil: :lol: :lol:

 

[Nancy Jocoy]

Bob that has been my experience as well - it is some kind of evil curse.

Philosophically, I hate throwing out something that has potential use. I get upset by all the plastic we waste - why everything has to be packaged in more plastic than the product you are buying. And if you are going to force me to have a package, how about one I can reuse - like a peanut butter jar?

It will be interesting once I get past the papers - (it is easy to make a decision about a 20 year old bank statement but not so easy when sifting through paperwork in purchasing a home to figure which must be kept vs. which can go)

And I remembered that all those 401K/403B year-end statements - gotta keep them as well. But I really don't need the others.

TEDIOUS - gonna go do some dog training this am and get away from it.

 

[Sarah Hall]

I guess I am the way opposite, if I don't use something in 3 months, I box it up (sealed). If I can't remember what is in that box in an additional 4 months, I throw it out. The only thing bad is when I box up dog training supplies and (dee de dee) don't mark them. So yes, sometimes I HAVE to open up some to find a lead, etc. I still can't find my old puppy harness. I think that got thrown out when I moved. :?
Oh, and I don't keep any of my son's clothes he's grown out of (I know so many moms that have problems with this). The either go straight in the trash (stained) or to a consignment shop and get a little $$ out of them. The only outfit I kept was the one I took him home in, otherwise, I get rid of them all.

 

[David Frost]

I'm a woodworker. I like to work with walnut and cherry. I also like to make projects out of, what is referred to as exotic woods. Those from South America, Africa etc. I have boxes full of small scraps that I just know I'll need some day. All they do is take up space. My cabinets also contain numerous old tools that were replaced with working newer ones. Of course I can't seem to throw the old ones away. I also still have my baseball cards, a few from the 50's a lot from the 60's and 70's. Some stuff ya just can't seem to throw away.

DFrost

 

[Connie Sutherland]

I'm a woodworker. I like to work with walnut and cherry. I also like to make projects out of, what is referred to as exotic woods. Those from South America, Africa etc. I have boxes full of small scraps that I just know I'll need some day. All they do is take up space. My cabinets also contain numerous old tools that were replaced with working newer ones. Of course I can't seem to throw the old ones away. I also still have my baseball cards, a few from the 50's a lot from the 60's and 70's. Some stuff ya just can't seem to throw away.

DFrost

Do you have a Frank Malzone card? I do.

Back to packratting and not throwing away "the good stuff". :lol:

 

[Bob Scott]

I'm a woodworker. I like to work with walnut and cherry. I also like to make projects out of, what is referred to as exotic woods. Those from South America, Africa etc. I have boxes full of small scraps that I just know I'll need some day. All they do is take up space. My cabinets also contain numerous old tools that were replaced with working newer ones. Of course I can't seem to throw the old ones away. I also still have my baseball cards, a few from the 50's a lot from the 60's and 70's. Some stuff ya just can't seem to throw away.

DFrost

That's a biggie with me. My wife keeps telling me to glue all the scrap wood together and I could problably build a walnut workshop.

 

[Lynn Cheffins]

teeheehee - a subject I can identify with!....Yes, I am a bit of a packrat and I am worst with the dog related stuff(have a lot of wire crates and stuff that have seen better days that get kept for "just in case" and an only last year got rid of vet records that went back 25 yrs(hmmm - dog has been gone for 10 yrs - I don't really need the vaccination records :roll: ) I have also have boxes of accumulated webbing and fabric scrap(and I won't tell you how many sewing machines I have ) that are awaiting a use that never seems to come. I have thinned down considerably in the past few years - a big part of my pack-ratt-iness I think comes from being military - they packed up and paid for my moves(pretty frequent) and you tended to keep stuff in case you needed it at the new place. One of my good friends I served with died last year - and as his wife was moving, I inherited some of his accumulation of "scrounge" "buckshee" and "I might use that someday" - this happended after I had done the big throw-out project with my stuff - you can't win The good thing about being a packrat and saving every piece of wood, board and piece of hardware is having a good supply of stuff when you do get down to doing a project. I rebuilt part of my kennels, built three doghouses and did a bunch of other wood projects this summer just by using up alot of accumulated wood, paint, fencing and hardware - so it isn't all bad to be thrifty.

 

[Becky Shilling]

AAAAiiiEEEEE!!!!! Wood! NO MORE WOOD!!!!


My husband has (in various rooms of the house)

Enough oak hard wood flooring to do our kitchen, den and bedroom (someday)

A whole bunch of 3'x4' pieces of clear plywood for cabinet and drawer faces to be built sometime in the misty future.

A pile that you can't jump over of 2' to 5' long pieces of oak 1x3's destined for some unspecified use; again, sometime in the dim future.

Other pieces and piles I don't wanna even think about.

BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST IF I WENT TO BUY IT????!!!!


Save me, gorilla!

 

[David Frost]

<<<BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST IF I WENT TO BUY IT????!!!!>>>

Is it red or white oak. I can get red for about 2 bucks a board foot, rough cut, white is about 2.50. Now if ya want to talk walnut.........

DFrost

 

[susan tuck]

AGGGGHHHHHHHH!!! This thread made me take alook around my place (which I have only been in for about 3 years), & I can't believe all the junk I have aquired in such a short time. I'm going through everything this week now because of you guys. What isn't nailed down is out. I want my next house to have a tilted tiled floor so that I can fire hose it once a week & be done with it. How do we collect so much stupid stuff?

 

[Becky Shilling]

It's amazing my husband and I don't shove a pillow over the others' head sometimes. I am more along the Japanese style of decorating..... a sofa, a lamp table, a bookcase and a dog crate (of course) and a room is "furnished" as far as I'm concerned. Him, on the other hand.... if you can walk through sideways it's too roomy!

 

[Michele Moore]

I am more along the Japanese style of decorating..... a sofa, a lamp table, a bookcase and a dog crate (of course) and a room is "furnished" as far as I'm concerned.

Haha, thats me too. :lol: Although I still have stuff to be thrown away, I refuse to look though. Besides, I was just complianing I sold a puppy sleeve of mine to my SchH club and now I have a puppy! It bites you later when you get rid of some stuff. Does anyone else have dog crate end tables in the living room?