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What do you keep that you KNOW you'll never use?

kenny

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
34,681
Walk around your house and look.
If you can't think of anything, ask your SO what YOU'll never use.

I keep clothes from when I was slender
Books and old National Geographics

Weird kitchen utensils and cake pans
Extra furniture stored in the garage

Old worn out towels I think I'll some day use as rags
3 old aquariums and 2 bird cages
Souvenir crap I hung onto from when I was in the military

My CD collection
A reel to reel audio tape recorder from 1982
A record player
Come to think of it, I don't use ANY of my stereo equipment any more.

What do YOU refuse to let go of that you know you'll never use again? (DHs don't count.)
 
Knitting and crocheting tools and yarn. I used to crochet, and learned to knit, but I haven't touched it in more than 2 years and probably won't.
A typewriter I just had to have.
Old clothes. Because I'm going to repurpose them into clutches, or so I lie to myself.
Fabric, tons of the stuff!

And that's just in this room!
 
Definitely a bunch of clothes I'll probably never wear again but can't seem to part with.

The tech graveyard that's full of gadgets that were state-of-the-art when I bought them (the Compaq iPaq, the 32MB MP3 player, the ancient Fuji digital camera). I just don't know what to do with them. It's hard to toss out something that cost $500 or $1,000 and is now worthless.

Music tape cassettes.

Silver jewelry. I no longer like the way silver metals look on me, but I can never seem to part with jewelry.

My mother's wedding dress. It's stained beyond belief and I'm hoping I won't get married again. Her mom's friend did the hand embroidery on it, and it's a really nice 1960s style. It even fits me. It's just icky, though.
 
My wedding dresses and veil.
 
I have zillions of AC adaptor chord thingies, most for long-forgoten electronic devices.
I can't throw the cords away.
What if I need them?
How can I ever know what they went to.
Shouldn't they be required to have a label telling you WTF they were for? :angryfire:
 
I am really good at getting rid of stuff I don't need....but my husband keeps all kinds of things. Wires and leads for phones etc that we don't own anymore. A box full of massive screws. When will we ever need one of those? I'm talking 6 inch screws. With flat ends.

Empty chocolate tins. For saving small change apparently. Except we don't save them. We give them to the kids.
 
Piano sheet music that's too advanced for me to EVER be able to play.

90% of the stuff in our bathroom's medicine cabinet.
 
Stuff from when my kids were babies. I am NOT getting rid of it - nope, no way, no how. WAY to sentimental. Same with things that were my grandmothers. I do not use these things, but I'm too emotionally tied to them to get rid of them. there will come a time... but that time is not now.

Maybe as my kids move out (1 down, 2 to go... but in no hurry for them to go ;( ) they can take some of their baby/kid stuff but right now, I protect it all fiercely when we do a basement purge.

Crazy, but there we are!
 
The only things I keep in our house that I know I'll never used are stored in my hope chest. I have old yearbooks, photographs, and letters that I received at overnight camp from my closest friends and relatives.

Other than that, I'm a "When in doubt, throw it out!" type of person. DH and I regularly go through our garage, closets, sheds, and drawers to purge things we don't need. We bought a home without a basement and minimal storage for a very specific reason. I don't like having extra things around, it makes my mind feel cluttered and inhibits my creativity.
 
Husband!
 
I can't get myself to let go of the many, many grad school books I still have (from 10 years ago). Haven and I were just talking about this in another thread a few days ago, actually. In theory, it sounds like a good idea to keep them but in reality, they take up a lot of space and they just seem like clutter to me. We don't have a home office, so they've been in boxes for years.

We also have a lot of kitchen gadgets and utensils that we never use but can't part with.

My husband has a few guitars that he doesn't really pick up that often, but he'll never get rid of them.
 
I'm just like Zoe - I still have textbooks and notes that are more than 10 years old too!

Plus clothes from my slimmer days because I'm still trying to convince myself that I'll lose the weight to fit in them again, my wedding dresses and veil, lots of kitchen gadgets that I think I need when I see them...

I'm an admitted pack rat and sale junkie (my dad and brother are like this too, so I blame genetics :naughty: )

DH has no problem throwing stuff out or donating things he doesn't use and thinks that I'll be like those people on the Hoarders show if he wasn't around. He says that he has a vision of one day coming home to find me buried under a pile of clothes and "other junk" :roll:
 
Lol almost everything apparently
 
All I have that fits the bill is sentimental stuff - mostly cards from deceased relatives, old photos, etc. But those things serve a purpose just by existing.

I got rid of so much stuff when I moved. Amazing what gets tossed away when your choices are to make it fit in a 40 lb suitcase, pay to have it airmailed to Australia, or chuck it. Some things I'm sure I'd like to still have...if I could remember what they were!
 
Old books that I have boxed in the garage that have gone from move to move, my wedding dress, and some furniture that was my mom's.
My husband has a ton more stuff in the garage than I do. I am not very much of a packrat, but he is a huge one!
 
KitchenAid stand mixer. I mean, I could use it in the future, but I haven't used it in about 3 years, so who knows when I will use it again...
 
My brain.
 
If there is any such thing in our possession it belongs to SO. It certainly doesn't belong to me. Now if you want to talk to real experts about keeping stuff that won't ever be used to talk to hoarders. Hoarders fascinate me. My stepfather is a hoarder and beloved late aunt was hoarder. I can't understand why people do that. I'm not sure anyone knows why.
 
Makes 'em feel more secure somehow, I think, Danny. I couldn't do that.

Me, all my old collars & tags from dogs long gone to the Bridge. Cannot bring myself to throw them out. Video tapes, which I can't even play anymore on current TVs. Books I'll never read again.
 
Closets full of business suits that I will NEVER wear again. NEVER!! Anyone want to help me get rid of them? Haven?? Help? I just feel like, what if I need them again. But, I won't. But, that's what keeps them here.

Oh, and whenever I suggest that my husband go through his BOXES full of wires, he just says "BUSINESS SUITS!" and the conversation ends in laughter.

I am going to try to pull some today. :blackeye:
 
Imdanny|1335084940|3177633 said:
If there is any such thing in our possession it belongs to SO. It certainly doesn't belong to me. Now if you want to talk to real experts about keeping stuff that won't ever be used to talk to hoarders. Hoarders fascinate me. My stepfather is a hoarder and beloved late aunt was hoarder. I can't understand why people do that. I'm not sure anyone knows why.
Click to expand...

This is the population that I work with daily in my job. They are fascinating people. Drs Randy Frost and Gail Steketee are considered the modern day experts on hoarding. The Collyer brothers were the famous hoarding brothers in NYC in the early 1900's. And of course the shows on TV are only missing the 'scratch and sniff' portion of the experience, when you watch from home!

Used to be considered OCD related but not necessarily the case with all hoarders. Many have much difficulty sorting and organizing and each item is so unique (the red envelope is soooo different from the blue envelope, from the one with a window, etc) that all has to be individually displayed, to remember what is where.... it is a fascinating experience dealing with someone who can not sort or think rationally about the safety risks of keeping everything.

People hoard different things - papers, books, clothing, food, pets, "human by products" .... Every day, every call, is a new experience when we go out - and I can honestly say, this is the BEST job I've ever had!!!

It sure makes me look at my own home differently! I view things from a safety and infestation perspective now. My kids hate when I change jobs because the dinner conversations are all teachable moments about whatever I've seen that day. Cockroaches, bed bugs, mice, feces, rotting organics, mental health.... it used to be sex (birth control/STD's/HIV&AIDS/abstinence/pregnancy/abortion. Not sure which job they prefer :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
My wedding dress for sentimental reasons. There is no way that will ever get used again. I am sure my nieces will want their own wedding dresses though I would be happy to give it to them if they wanted to wear it for sure!

I tend to hold onto lots of things for too long and I am working on being able to get rid of things I do not use. My dh is the opposite and he gets rid of things/donates them if possible all the time. I am a work in progress and have donated tons of clothes but still have too many I am pretty sure I will never wear again. Lots of suits that I just cannot wear anymore as I am always hot and dress much lighter these days. Many beautiful clothes with the tags still on them and one day soon I hope to be able to part with them and give them to someone who can benefit from them.
 
Haven|1335049084|3177427 said:
The only things I keep in our house that I know I'll never used are stored in my hope chest. I have old yearbooks, photographs, and letters that I received at overnight camp from my closest friends and relatives.

Other than that, I'm a "When in doubt, throw it out!" type of person. DH and I regularly go through our garage, closets, sheds, and drawers to purge things we don't need. We bought a home without a basement and minimal storage for a very specific reason. I don't like having extra things around, it makes my mind feel cluttered and inhibits my creativity.
Click to expand...

I'm like you are Haven, with the exception that I've kept some of the kids baby stuff and some of the embroidered tablecloth/napkin sets that my grandmother made. I'll NEVER use them, but I can't give them away either.
 
Clothes! I still have boxes of clothes that I still haven't unpacked after a move two years ago. You know how they say to pack things up in a box, label it, and then put the box away for 6 months? If you haven't touched it after 6 months, donate the box without opening it first. If you can't remember what you had, you probably won't miss it much. I can't do it. Just can't.

I also have lots of clothes in my closet that I don't wear but can't part with.
 
When I did the last big cleanout, I wasn't ready to give up my beautiful clothes and shoes from 20 years ago. This year I did donate some of my outfits, but none of my shoes.

I'm trying again to part with some sentimental pieces like my two mother-of-the bride dresses and one mother of the groom dress. I was 'saving' these to show my DGD that, at one time, I really had a life. I had the opportunity when she was here for a sleepover. She asked to try on various outfits. YAY!!! Sadly, we have a different build and none of the dresses would zip up. I had a very small waist, and no boobs to speak of. She, on the other hand, is amply blessed at the top and has a proportionate waist. No excuse to keep them now.

My favourite shoes are either a 7 or a 7.5. As a little girl, she would wear them around our house with a big smile on her face. Now that she's a teen, she wears a 10 to 10.5. Again no reason to keep these.

Our kids' nicest baby clothes I have given back to them. It's up to them to decide what to do with their baby books, hair locks from first cut and now a few of their baby clothes.

Now there are no excuses left. I have to be ruthless and let everything go that I know I can never wear again. It's still tough because most of them have fabulous memories attached. ::)
 
I'm pretty good at getting rid of things that I don't use, especially because I don't want to turn into my parents who save so much junk its ridiculous. But I would have to say that I have lots of clothes and old textbooks that I'll probably never use but I probably won't get rid of anytime soon.
 
My wedding shoes, and have no clue where my wedding dress is.

Got on that crazy town phase of Louis Vitton multi colored bags, but can't part with them just yet. Also have one in denim, like What was I thinking?? :rolleyes:
 
Loves Vintage|1335098671|3177661 said:
Closets full of business suits that I will NEVER wear again. NEVER!! Anyone want to help me get rid of them? Haven?? Help? I just feel like, what if I need them again. But, I won't. But, that's what keeps them here.

Oh, and whenever I suggest that my husband go through his BOXES full of wires, he just says "BUSINESS SUITS!" and the conversation ends in laughter.

I am going to try to pull some today. :blackeye:
Click to expand...
I would put all of your suits in a box or a bag labeled with the date you packed them. Then, tuck them away somewhere--a closet, basement, shed, etc.
One day you'll happen upon them and realize that you boxed them up one, two, three years earlier and never missed them, and then it will be much easier to get rid of them at that point.
At least, that's what worked with DH! :cheeky:

ETA: If you want a more immediate result, you COULD bring all of your suits out and put them in a big pile right in the middle of the room you use the most. That way the extra stuff is so in your face, you may just want to get rid of it ASAP. This is what I did when I cleaned out my craft room. I had all of these lovely crafts that I never used, but they were tucked away so neatly and out of sight that they didn't bother me. I put them all in the middle of our family room when I really wanted to clean them out, and for some reason seeing them taking up space in our often-used family room made it easier for me to give it all away.
 
yennyfire|1335099461|3177670 said:
Haven|1335049084|3177427 said:
The only things I keep in our house that I know I'll never used are stored in my hope chest. I have old yearbooks, photographs, and letters that I received at overnight camp from my closest friends and relatives.

Other than that, I'm a "When in doubt, throw it out!" type of person. DH and I regularly go through our garage, closets, sheds, and drawers to purge things we don't need. We bought a home without a basement and minimal storage for a very specific reason. I don't like having extra things around, it makes my mind feel cluttered and inhibits my creativity.
Click to expand...

I'm like you are Haven, with the exception that I've kept some of the kids baby stuff and some of the embroidered tablecloth/napkin sets that my grandmother made. I'll NEVER use them, but I can't give them away either.
Click to expand...
My mom made all of my grandmothers linens into beautiful patchwork blankets for my grandmother's five granddaughters. They're lovely, and a wonderful way to keep these things without stuffing them away in a closet somewhere. I really love mine!
 
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