Is anyone else horrified by how much *stuff* you have?

[Dee*Jay]

I recently moved from Chicago to Kansas City. It was easy to not realize (translation: ignore) how much stuff I had before the move because I lived in a four story house and lots and lots of closets, and things were very spread out. In the course of the move I got rid of A LOT of stuff. A LOT. I spent three months in corporate housing with my stuff in storage, and then I moved into a more permanent space over Labor Day weekend. The closet in the master bedroom went pretty much untouched from the move until I MADE myself deal with it last night. And I must say I am HORRIFIED by what’s in there. Seriously mortified. I mean, it’s all perfectly organized (for now—let’s see how long that lasts!) and looks nice, but this closet (which is probably 8’ x 8’) is just packed to the gills.

One of the reasons I took this apartment is because it came with a big (maybe 10’ x 10’) storage room, which seemed SOOOOO big when I looked at the place, but now you can barely get in there.

And to add insult to injury, I just over the weekend bought new dining room chairs because I don’t like the ones I have, so now I’ll have to figure out what to do with the four I’ve got now because they are “good” and you can’t just throw out four good chairs. Actually, I plan on using one of them in my office and getting rid of that chair, but I don’t want to get rid of three dining room chairs, because who needs three? You need four!

Seriously; who needs this much stuff? And more importantly, how do you keep from bringing more in?!?

Tips? Tricks? Commiseration?

Am I alone in this…?

 

[davi_el_mejor]

You are not alone!

We moved from a HUGE three bedroom apt into a TINY 2 bedroom house.

It's amazing what you can cram into about 700 square feet It didn't look like we had this much stuff when we had 1200 square feet. Thankfully the inlaws have a huge house and can store stuff that just wouldn't fit here.

When I see shows on HGTV or TLC where people move into places and don't have stuff... I'm always amazed. They have sooo much space! Wall space... I don't know what wall space is. Every bit of wall that can handle artwork is covered. COVERED.

Like you, our stuff is too new to just get rid off, but it serves us no purpose in storage.

 

[iLander]

Oh, honey . . . 10 x 10 . . . that's nothin'.

Last time we moved, it took two and a half semi trucks.

And we were moving to a fully furnished second home.

After several massive garage sales, having an auction house take most of the furniture from the first place, and producing a pile of garbage that necessitated me standing by the bags with a $20 bill to motivate the garbage guys, it was still 2 and a half semis.

Our basement-type storage area is 2000 square feet. It's full.

That was ten years ago. I really haven't used any of the stuff in the basement, and I've added more stuff to the upstairs part.

So yeah . . . 10 x 10 doesn't impress me.

 

[gem_anemone]

I just threw out some junk that I had been holding on to since I lived with my parents. I'd say if your stuff is good then maybe it would be worth your wile to check out a secondhand/consignment store? Some will give you 40-50% of what they sell it for. $100 in your pocket could be better than four good chairs taking up space! Good luck!

 

[vintagelover229]

Have you considered a local resale group? they usually have classifieds or even a FB group or you can try craigslist.

If you want to help out you can contact a local women's shelter who help women get into apartments and donate to them and also probably get a tax receipt.

I'm a hoarder as well-i have stuff scattered between 2 countries!

Hope the move wasn't to stressful

 

[iheartscience]

I FEEL YOU. We moved from a 1500 sq ft house to a 700 square foot house on 3 floors. (In between we were in a huge apt. with a gigantic loft that became storage, so we didn't have to get rid of a thing to live there.) We got rid of so much stuff (including 15+ boxes of my clothes) but when we moved into our current tiny place, we still had way too much stuff. We had THREE WHISKS. How?!

We've continued to get rid of stuff slowly but surely. I sold our dining room table and chairs on Craigslist and got a decent amount of money for them. We've also donated piles of stuff to the Salvation Army and a local AIDS thrift. We still have some boxes to deal with in the basement and in the corner of the guest room/attic, but we'll get to them eventually. It's actually quite freeing to have so much less stuff!

Have you thought about hiring a professional organizer? I'm still considering it, but since my twin sister helped me sort through all my clothes so I don't think I really need one at this point since what we have left is pretty manageable.

 

[mrs jam]

I have greatly reduced the number of items I own, and it's a tremendously freeing feeling. I also appreciate the things that I have much more. I wouldn't call myself a minimalist, but I definitely question my purchases (large and small) much more. I now can't understand my previous desire to consume, consume, consume. I was at TJ Maxx the other day looking for a birthday gift for a neighbor, and I had to mentally shake my head at the aisles of home decor knick knacks. I could kick myself when I think of all the money I've wasted on items that were function-less pieces of clutter. It actually bothers me (in a visual sense) to be in homes full of home decor items. One if my pet peeves about many homes I've seen is that they have no interesting architectural features, so I think that's why so many people feel the need to bring it decorations just so they can make a room feel like less of a builder's cookie-cutter creation.

I really enjoyed reading these:

http://lifehacker.com/5663045/a-minimalist-lifestyle-does-not-make-you-a-better-person
http://zenhabits.net/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-home/
http://mnmlist.com/minimalist-faqs
http://www.theminimalists.com/favorite/

I've applied my minimalist tendencies toward my jewelry box, too. I sold a lot of things that I rarely wore. I kept my everyday items, which only consist of my engagement and wedding rings, two Cartier Love bracelets, diamond studs, and an Elsa Peretti bone cuff. I don't know if growing up along the Gulf Coast has anything to my mindset (hurricane evacuations), but it's strangely comforting to me to know that I can fit all my most precious material possessions into one small carry-on sized tote. I love our furniture, but I never get attached to furniture in such a way that it would break my heart if I lost it. With four dogs and two cats, I can safely say that there is not a single piece if furniture that I anticipate will last me for the rest of my life, nor would I want it to anyway.

I know that getting rid of things can be a bit scary, but it's also addictive! I would start small, like with items in a closet or your kitchen cupboards. The huge perk of de-cluttering for me has been how the practice has drastically changed my shopping habits. The only things I buy are now my very favorite things.

 

[mimi123]

i DeeJay! btdt for sure! Last year we downsized from a 5 bdrm 4 bthrm 3-storey to a 2 bdrm bungalow... ...when the painter saw the movers' show up he said you're going to fit all that into this little house ?
Of course we sold some, gave some away, donated to charities, etc., and STILL have a ways to go. One tip I can give you - if one thing comes into the house, be it clothes or furniture - one HAS to go out. It's the only way to stay sane!

 

[ihy138]

Ugh! Yes. But that's because I still live with my parents and have to fit almost all of my worldly possessions into a single room (not including the housewares I have collected for when my fiance and I finally move that are currently in a spare room). I think my biggest problem is that I don't like to part with clothing. I have started a new system where I have all my hangers facing a certain way and switch them around when I wear something. Everything that hasn't been used in a year I will give away. I'm hoping this helps.

I am, however, horrified by the amount of jewelry I own. Oh well, we all have hobbies right?

 

[HollyS]

Is anyone else horrified by how much *stuff* you have?




Absolutely.
Always.
Definitely.

I purge about every 3 years. I'm trying to do it now.

Why are there clothes, with tags still on, in my closet?
Why are there books on my shelves that I have not read?
I didn't even know I had this many shoes . . .
And when did I last wear that jewelry?? 1990?

There is a massive garage sale in my future. Massive.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Well I'm glad to see this affliction doesn't affect only me!

I love the "if something comes in, something else has to go out" idea. I even occassionally say that to myself as I'm hauling new sh!t into the house, but the challenge is actually acting on it.

I also like the idea of turning the hangers in my closet and getting rid of the things that are still turned the other way in a set period of time. How long though? It seems you would have to go through an entire year, right?

Coats, and shoes, and purses--oh my! I am the Imelda Marcos of coats. Seriously, I can't pass a coat rack without trying something on. Shoes; I am a size 5-1/2 (really a 5, but there's no hope of finding a 5 any more...) so when I find shoes that fit I buy them. Lots of them. In every color. And purses. I have a rack full of purses, some quite expensive. Ask me the last time I carried one other than my basic black Coach that I bought at the outlet three years ago (and now I wish I would have gotten five of them becuase I love it so much and I dread the day when it finally goes to the great purse graveyard in the sky.)

When I moved I did a good job of purging books, and I don't really have a lot of kitchen stuff becuase I don't cook AT ALL, but I have (I'm not exaggerating) more than 200 wine and champagne glasses. Probably WELL more. They came in handy when I entertained a lot in Chicago, but I can't imagine doing that here. So then the question is: Do I get rid of some of these glasses* now and rebuy them when/if I move to a place down the line where I entertain, or do I just leave them in the storage room? (*I also have tons of depression glass wine glasses because my best friend from law school adds to my collection every Christmas. I can't imagine getting rid of those. Maybe I should actually USE them instead of all the cheapies from Pier 1. But what if one gets broken? ARGH?!?!?!? These are the things that run through my head!!! Am I beyond help?)

Maybe the ultimate idea is just not to let ANYTHING new come in the house AT ALL. So, by virtue of attrition, things would weed themselves out over time. How much time though? I don't think I could ever live long enough for this to occur...

 

[mimi123]

I can tell you what I've done re wine glasses, china etc. I got rid of a the cheap stuff and use my good stuff now. Why not? I love my good stuff and by God, I'm gonna use them and if one or two breaks - so what? At least I've been able to marvel at their beauty and appreciate using them and doesn't everything taste better in good crystal or china? Same with my clothes and jewelry. If I love it, I'm wearing it. Period.

 

[ame]

Uh. Yes. If you saw my thread about purging....I am still not anywhere near done. And Im about to be on the news for retaliation against my husband who has trashed almost everything I've accomplished already.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I think I've found the answer -- I will only shop at CVS from now on!!! Is there anything I really need that I can't get there? Wine, Lean Cuisines, cleaning supplies, toiletries! That way I won't go to Walmart and spend $200 when all I really needed was Windex... Plus, think of all the free time I'll have now that I'm not traipsing from store to store..!!!

 

[soocool]

I have no problem purging and I don't know how I did it, but I finally convinced DH to get rid of a lot of stuff earlier this year. A major amount we either donated to Purple Heart, or took to an electronics recycling place, or got rid of through Freecycle.org http://www.freecycle.org/ . I routinely go through stuff and either use, donate, recycle, or just throw out.

DH is the problem. He hates to throw anything out and I remind him that when we downsize in the future there is no way we are taking the stuff with us. Today I asked him about all his books and he agreed to donate the paperbacks, but won't relent on the hardcovers. I have been asking him the same question a couple times a year for the past year- do you really want/need these books since you now have an iPad and are downloading all your books. to read on there? A few years ago he agreed to get rid of his college textbooks (DH graduated from college over 30 years ago).

Now the stuff I am holding onto is DD's crib and bedroom furniture. They are quality pieces and if she never uses them she is free to do what she'd like with them. But they are out of this house when we downsize.

 

[Missy]

Yes, I have way too much stuff. Way too much. It's like a sickness or something. I keep buying even when I have tons of stuff I never wear/use etc. I'm not a psychologist but maybe there's something missing that makes me want to fill the void...or maybe I just love shopping!

I really must start cleaning out closets and getting rid of things I never wear/use. My dh is so good about that. Sigh.

 

[VRBeauty]

Your question brings to mind a couple of things - the first is this book, which was around several years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Material-World-Global-Family-Portrait/dp/0871564300

It's a photographic essay of sorts - families posed in front of their homes with all their worldly possessions arrayed around them. Seeing it made me glad I wasn't in there because - oh my, there would be a huge pile of stuff for my little family of one!

The second thing is the estate sales I sometimes go to - where most everything left in an individual's house is pulled out of drawers and such and made available for sale. Sometimes the amount of stuff is just staggering. It also makes me want to go home and clear out stuff - but I must admit that about half of the time I go home with more stuff (selected with great care, of course ).

I've lived in my house for 30 years and I have accumulated a lot of stuff. Some of it I needed at the time... some, not so much. I definitely need to do a major purge, just to get to the point where I can see and make decisions about the stuff that is meaningful to me and useful to my life now. I'm also expecting that my parents will be moving out of their large house within the next two or three years... I'd like to have room to accept some of the treasures* from their home with joy, because I have room to display them, rather than dread.

*as in things that have memories for me and my family

 

[Dee*Jay]

OMG!!! I just opened one of my filing cabinet drawers looking for something and I found FIVE PAIRS OF SHOES in there! I've only been at this job for three months--how could I forget I had five pairs of shoes here?!?

If anyone every wanted take a picture of me and all my stuff for Material World they would need a W...I...D...E angle lense!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Keep the wine glasses. Ditch everything else.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Enerchi]

HI:

Keep the wine glasses. Ditch everything else.

cheers--Sharon

And the wine stash, too! I think it got moved from Chicago, didn't it DeeJay?

At least you've recognized you have a 'stash' so now you are actively working on reducing it ---- AWESOME!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Keep the wine glasses. Ditch everything else.

cheers--Sharon

And the wine stash, too! I think it got moved from Chicago, didn't it DeeJay?

At least you've recognized you have a 'stash' so now you are actively working on reducing it ---- AWESOME!

Oh yes, the cases of wine! How could I forget?????? Moreover, KEEP ALL the SHOES! You were SO lucky to find them!!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Dee*Jay]

Sharon and Enerchi, I knew I could count on you for good advice!!!

(Actually, the wine is still in Chicago, but I am considering shipping it once the weather cools off so the truck won't be too hot... Then watch--we'll have some freak cold snap and it will all freeze in transit, LOL!)

 

[Matata]

I've never been horrified at the amount of my possessions but I sure did get sick & tired of dusting, insuring, storing, moving, & keeping track of them. Sooo, a few years ago I started giving stuff away -- to family & friends, Goodwill, & Habitat for Humanity. Even my jewelry. Last year I gave my stepson's girlfriend a platinum & diamond ring -- retail value $12,000. Didn't wear it anymore and I knew she liked it and would enjoy it. I've divested myself of furniture, clothes, designer bags & shoes, and I've got a few more pieces of jewelry to get rid of that I don't wear anymore. I dunno, the older I get, the less I want compared to 10 yrs ago when I was in full acquisition mode.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I am going through my things as well. I don't know if I am downsizing but, rather, making sure I have the right things for my life. I don't need all those towels so I am giving some away and using the space to store a collection of good board games, to play with friends and plenty of yummy food.

I also went through my jewelry. I gave some away, melted some, refurbished others. I realized that I only wear some pieces and didn't need all the variety I loved when I was younger.

 

[Haven]

I'm not a minimalist but I don't have a lot of things.

DH, however, had SO MUCH STUFF when we were first married. He had lived in his condo, alone, for nearly ten years. Stuff piles up if oyu aren't careful. He wasn't careful. When we moved our stuff to our house I could fit everything into two van trips (including all my books!), but we had to rent a U-Haul for his stuff. I was definitely horrified.

We've gone through everything over the last four years, and so we FINALLY do not have any stuff sitting around, unused, in boxes. It's a great feeling. (Be we I mean "he" of course.)

I think the more you purge the easier it gets. When in doubt, get it out!

 

[CJ2008]

I hate hate hate "stuff". I definitely have more than I want because of DH. We have boxes in almost every closet - they look neat - but I hate knowing they're filled with "stuff". Plus he's not organized so the boxes are full of mixed stuff. Drives me crazy just thinking about it He's gotten better but still not to the level I'd like it.

 

[zoebartlett]

I feel like it's a never-ending process. I love getting rid of things but even though I do this fairly regularly, I can't seem to let go of a lot of work-related books (some of which are probably outdated to a degree), files, and other random household things. We have a lot of kitchen utensils, vases, and glass pitchers that we don't use (and in some cases, haven't even used once), but I keep lugging them around each time we move. I'd LOVE to get to a place where everything has a place and everything is kept in that place. I love reading decluttering and organizing blogs. They're a great motivator for getting rid of stuff.

 

[JewelFreak]

Last time we moved, it took two and a half semi trucks.
And we were moving to a fully furnished second home.

OMG!!! I just opened one of my filing cabinet drawers looking for something and I found FIVE PAIRS OF SHOES in there! I've only been at this job for three months--how could I forget I had five pairs of shoes here?!?

Oh, I love you girls! You sound just like home. When we moved into a 5500 sq ft house I thought it would be half empty & look weird forever. Gawd almighty, soon every nook & cranny was crammed -- I even had pans in the coat closet.

I'm desperate to downsize -- we have 3100 ft now, I want something easier & cheaper to maintain. DH is the PACK RAT of the century & it's gonna be painful & full of antagonism. For me, I'd be happy to sell almost every piece of furniture & buy what we need, just start over, smaller. Not holding my breath.

--- Laurie

 

[Catmom]

Sit down and watch a Hoarders marathon and you will have everything cleaned out lickedy split!

I have adopted the 'one in one out ' method at lest for clothes and shoes. It really does work.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I hate hate hate "stuff". I definitely have more than I want because of DH. We have boxes in almost every closet - they look neat - but I hate knowing they're filled with "stuff". Plus he's not organized so the boxes are full of mixed stuff. Drives me crazy just thinking about it He's gotten better but still not to the level I'd like it.

This made me laugh out loud! I can hear the words "mixed stuff" being said like it something *dirty*!!!

Here's the problem with one in/one out: It never gets to LESS than what it is now... Maybe I need one in two out... or three...

Some of you can at least share/place the blame on your significant others. I have no one else responsible for this mess now! When the XH went his stuff went too, so all this that's left is mine. Ack.

(I do have to confess I look rather spiffy today in a blazer and shoes I completely forgot I had until they came to light in the Great Unearthing the other night!)