When was the last time you really culled through your possessions and reduced the amount of stuff you have?

I bought a huge desk about 3 months ago. I basically had to remove everything beside my bed to get it in here. I brought stuff back in (it was in the backyard) one box at time and went through every single thing. Got rid of about 75% of my worthless crap.

@johnpowell : I love what you’ve done to the place. The window coverings are so rustic.

I like to do this frequently. It’s been about 4 months since I’ve done something like this, but I am due for a good overhaul. I was just looking in my drawers the other day fantasizing about gutting them and putting less than half of the stuff back in them.

Maybe this week.

Two weeks ago. We were cleaning to get ready for an open house, and while boxing much stuff, around half of the mass ended up trashed.

Dude. I woke up one morning with a healthy hangover and was being blinded. Cardboard was the only thing that was handy. Under better circumstances I would have used a sheet.

@johnpowell hope that there are never circumstances under which I am left unattended in that room, because I would be so tempted to draw a “window” with scenery on that cardboard.

I am still working on my Spring Cleaning from 2007, even as close as 2 days ago.

Are you kidding? I’m STILL accumulating.. I’m not even close to a hoarder but I have stuff that goes back even farther than I’m willing to reveal, however, I know I can’t eventually have everything (shrug!) where would I put it all..?

I did a HUGE clean out a few years ago and cathartically threw out a lot of stuff that was linked to bad emotional stuff, and gave away a bunch of just extra stuff and recycled more corrugated than I thought existed in the world. Since then I’ve tried to do some more, but it’s harder. I have to paint soon, that will result in another huge purge.

Not often enough!

Im not going to count my recent clear out as it was necessary because we are moving. So before that it was a couple of years ago I emptied all the old toys from the loft and sent them to the charity shop. It felt great.

I thought I had gotten rid of everything when I moved from Florida two years ago, but another big bunch of stuff went when we moved this last May.

The in July we cleaned out my MIL’s house (16 years of accumulated crap) and ended up bringing home a bunch of antiques so now we have too much stuff again.

according to the storyofstuff.com, 90% of everything we buy is no longer in use in 6 months!
I have moved a few times in the last couple of years so I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff.
I still have an airplane hanger wit a huge storage room. I have to get rid of a lot of the stuff stored in it. It’s crazy. I’m working on buying less to begin with.

In June. In order to set things up for the population of the house to grow 75%. Three new people bunking in until their new home is ready – next month. As others have mentioned, it really is a freeing feeling to reduce extra stuff and organize so you totally know where things are

After years of buying from auctions (and some yard sales), I’m finally trying to down size. It’s a long drooling task as I never know where to start. This past spring and summer hubby and I have been selling off items from the garage at outdoor flea markets. It has been somewhat profitable and at least I can envision being able to park my vehicle in the garage this winter. Also a great deal of stuff has been donated/free-cycled. I can almost see the light..:-}

The last time I moved, so almost 2 months ago.

We did this when we moved here in July (as we packed to move and then again as we were unpacking). We were actually just talking about this last night and decided that we need to try to cut down some more stuff as we may be moving around more if I get accepted into the AFNC.

@Stinley all clear outs count – even if motivated by a move!

The past four years have been almost literally a process of me slowly but surely ridding myself of my stuff. By the time my husband and I finally moved in together with my our boys in July I had pretty much pared it down to things related to my boys’ growing up, some stuff from my own childhood, a couch, and my clothes. This is not counting stuff that belongs to or required by my kids. It has been a really awesome experience and incredibly freeing. Right now I am finding for the first time since I moved to the Cornfield that there is something that I really want to have some of those cute little warm pajama pants. This is a huge deal for someone who spent a lot of time in my former life as a suburban housewife gathering stuff just for the sake of having it.

This weekend, I finally cleared my files off the old computer and then decommissioned it and got it off my desk. Lots of desk space now. Now I have to recycle it. Can I take the hard drive out and recycle it still?

I do a mini-cleaning and disposal weekly. When I go to the local transfer station, I always bring a few things for the recycleable area.

This little town affords many opportunities.

A used book store

Drop-off for used clothing and shoes

Consignment and second-hand rose shops.

The optician takes used eye glasses and cases.

I leave little things that someone (other than I) might love on the benches scattered around the town. When I check back, the <fill-in-the-blank> is gone.

For larger items, there are several local auctions and a store connected to the local hospital that sets up apartments for battered women and their kids.

The humane society takes used blankets, mattresses, pillolws, sheets, bed pads, towels, etc.

I did it a few years ago, but more has collected since then. I now have baby clothes and toys stuffed in various shelves.

I have an entire room full of craft items and I haven’t made anything for several years now. It’s kind of sad, really. I finally get to the point where I have everything I ever needed for my crafts and they sit there, unused. The glue and paints have all cracked and dried up, some of the fabric is fading, even the yarn is begging to be used.

I started going through about 15 years of accumulated stuff in August as part of my separation/divorce healing process. I hadn’t realized just how frozen and stagnant I had become and it’s not an easy process, but it’s a process that’s moving along the best I can push it. I look forward to the results!!

I need help with this.

I have a hard time getting started and then figuring out what to get rid of. “I might need it someday”!
I have way too much stuff, I can’t keep up with all of it.
I can’t stand the thought of putting useful things in the trash to go to a landfill. I would like to get some money out of the better items that are actually worth trying to sell, but ebay and craigslist is too daunting for me.
I really need some help, and someone to guide me gently.

@Supermouse all our stuff fits into two shipping containers. That’s one too many in my book
@Wilma try Freecycle online. People come and take your old stuff and are generally really grateful

@wilma : That sounds like the makings of an excellent Fluther question.

I rarely do a “cleanup” and when I fele like up to it I throw everything I don’t really use. When I do a clean up I throw a lot of things away. That’s why I do it so rarely because when I do it I either give away to much or throw to many things.

@wilma :: Drafting Dots to the rescue. Put one on each item that you use for a few months. It will help you figure out what you don’t need.

I did my clothing closet and kitchen junk drawer 6 months ago. I really really need to do my office closet again, even though I went through it about 3 months ago.

Thanks @johnpowell

The beginning of this year. I usually do this two or three times a year. My grandmother is a mild hoarder and I see my mother has collecting issues so I try to keep my shite minimalized, trying to head off going that direction.

@wundayatta… Actually you can install it (the hard drive) in your new computer.. set it up as a slave and you’ll be able to access what’s in it, just delete anything associated with the old OS because it will not work (no association with the registry). If you don’t want the extra space then find a place to have it destroyed as information is still on it.