Campaign to free ourselves of clutter

[Antie Em]

I am ruthless and have a good clear out every year. I do have boxes of the kids and grandkids "creative" stuff and I always keep the programmes from shows I have been to see. My ex was a terrible hoarder, so I would clear out his stuff and store it in the attic for a year - if he hadn't asked where it was, then I would recycle it. I remember he had white suits with extensive flares from his days with a pop group in the '70's. These were kept in a box in the attic, and I had great pleasure giving them to him when he left.

You know what they say.........

Out with the Old in with the new!

[snoopysue]

I'm a bit of a schizo, I'm good at hoarding, but occaisionally I get ruthless and chuck a load of stuff!! Not photo's, or old scrapbooks or anything like that though!
I have a rule with clothing, if I haven't worn it for a year then it goes down the charity shop - the only exeptions are dressy stuff - they get kept a bit longer, and the occaision item that was a real favorite (you know the ones that get put reluctantly (?) in the laundry basket, and are being worn again almost before they're dry!

My sister on the other hand is a definate hoarder, so much so it must be pathological! She has magazines that are ten years old - not just recipies or interesting articles, but whole magazines. When she got together with her current partner, they couldn't decide which cuttlery to keep, so they have two cuttlery drawers - his and hers. Their kitchen always looks like a bomb has hit it - they complain they've not got enough work space, but really if they cleared half the work space they have then there'd be plenty!

[linell]

LOL well I don't have any, no clutter here, everything has a home in my house..........

Linell.

[Antie Em]

LOL well I don't have any, no clutter here, everything has a home in my house..........

Linell.

"Like"

[snoopysue]

LOL well I don't have any, no clutter here, everything has a home in my house..........

Linell.

[Lulu]

Yes, everything has a home in my house. That's why it's so cluttered. Came home with a car boot full of more homeless stuff yesterday, in the continuing effort of helping Mum downsize and move house.

I am now the proud owner of a box of Birth Congratulations Cards from the 1950s. Lovely but where will they go? A Royal Albert Roses tea set, an old Navy Chest, which contains, old reel to reel tapes and somewhere in there is me singing The Twelve Days of Christmas, aged four and the only known recordings of my Grandma and Uncle Jack, giving me encouragement. Also, many cartridges of holiday slides from the late 60's, early 70s.

What do I do with them? How could I let them go to the Tip?

[Antie Em]

Hey Lulu - I have some Royal Albert Roses pieces - would you like them to go with your's? They're not cluttering my house, I keep them in my mom's attic - she doesn't let us throw anything away. I think that's why I'm the opposite. Her famous words are "It'll come in handy one day".

[Antie Em]

Yes, everything has a home in my house. That's why it's so cluttered. Came home with a car boot full of more homeless stuff yesterday, in the continuing effort of helping Mum downsize and move house.

I am now the proud owner of a box of Birth Congratulations Cards from the 1950s. Lovely but where will they go? A Royal Albert Roses tea set, an old Navy Chest, which contains, old reel to reel tapes and somewhere in there is me singing The Twelve Days of Christmas, aged four and the only known recordings of my Grandma and Uncle Jack, giving me encouragement. Also, many cartridges of holiday slides from the late 60's, early 70s.

What do I do with them? How could I let them go to the Tip?

There was a bit of a baby boom in the 50's - your mom probably thought they were a good deal. No - you can't let any of these go to the tip, that would be criminal.

[Lulu]

Sorry, I didn't explain myself very well, they were cards sent to Mum when I and my Sister were born.

[Antie Em]

Sorry, I didn't explain myself very well, they were cards sent to Mum when I and my Sister were born.

Oh - you definately have to keep them then

[Antie Em]

Yes, everything has a home in my house. That's why it's so cluttered. Came home with a car boot full of more homeless stuff yesterday, in the continuing effort of helping Mum downsize and move house.

I am now the proud owner of a box of Birth Congratulations Cards from the 1950s. Lovely but where will they go? A Royal Albert Roses tea set, an old Navy Chest, which contains, old reel to reel tapes and somewhere in there is me singing The Twelve Days of Christmas, aged four and the only known recordings of my Grandma and Uncle Jack, giving me encouragement. Also, many cartridges of holiday slides from the late 60's, early 70s.

What do I do with them? How could I let them go to the Tip?

There was a bit of a baby boom in the 50's - your mom probably thought they were a good deal. No - you can't let any of these go to the tip, that would be criminal.

There's a place in Dudley who will put your old tapes onto CD's. We've just had loads of them done.

[dianel]

I have a problem with throwing out clothes. I go through my wardrobe, put all the "haven't worn this in years" stuff in plastic rubbish bags to take to the OP Shop, then, when it comes to actually taking the bags away, I find half the stuff has escaped back to my wardrobe. I think my clothes have a homing instinct. Consequently, all the wardrobes in our 3 spare rooms are mine!

[Lulu]

I have tons of stuff of my own and from my Mum's which I have to get to my friend's Charity Shop, in the next few days but there are a large number of woollen jackets and I intend to cut them up for making a Rag Rug, during Winter's evenings, whilst sitting by the fire.

[MarkCDodd]

I have a four car garage that struggle to fit a bicycle with all my treasures in there.

Old computer from the 70's nad 80's.

Bazillions of Computer and Electronic magazine going back to the early 70's.

My huge Sci Fi and Fantasy book collection.

There are boxes in there that haven't been opened in 20 years !!!

I was rummaging around in there today looking for three particular books among the thousands and it only took 50 minutes to find them

I then opened up one of the older boxes and sat ther for three hours flicking through old manuals and text books from my engineering course.

I love clutter. Clutter is normal. Neat Freaks would not be able to cope.

[snoopysue]

I'm not a neat freak, but neither is my house so cluttered up that I can't find anything! I tend to sort through my clothes once or twice a year, and try to be ruthless but it's not always easy!