Do you have a lot of stuff in your place that you don't need? Why do you have it? If it all has some meaning to you, why do you ascribe meaning to it?

After I had to sort thru all my mom’s stuff after she died, I swore I wouldn’t make my kids do it.
Since then, my mantra is “Less”.
I have only been somewhat successful. I hope to continue paring down the clutter.

After years and years of hoarding, today, in the afternoon, I threw away about 1000 liter of junk, shit, trash, wood, dark room, tools, bicycle stuff, clothes, even some things from my childhood, etc.
I feel I feel less and less attached to material stuff.
Tomorrow is part 2 of ridding the basement!

Great question. I was going to ask that too, but you beat me to the punch. lol

Yes, I do have quite a bit of “useless” items in my house, things I bought over the years that I now regret buying, like a statue of a Labrador Retriever dog, an exercise bike, numerous DVDS, videotapes, slippers with little fingers that supposedly massage my feet, various jackets, etc.

I moved into my new house about 8 years ago. I got into a “buying mood” and purchased many things for the new home. Over the years it just became junk. I think I need to hold a garage sale next summer. :(

Things just creep in. I got rid of a lot of stuff three years ago when we left Florida, and then when we moved again one year ago, I found stuff I had brought from Florida that I had not seen in two years! We got rid of a bunch more stuff.

I have way too much stuff. Too many clothes, I am crowded and I don’t like it. I’m not sure what to do with the things after I decide that I can part with them. What do I do with it? What if it has monetary value? Should I just give it away anyway?

I have tons and tons of books.

@wilma Sell what you can via various mediums like craigslist or something, then give away the rest (I’m not commanding you lol, I meant as a suggestion).

I do have quite a bit of ‘stuff’. Things I have bought over the years (or people have bought for me that I really didn’t want) and it just feels wrong to get rid of. When we laid the timber floor recently, we had to pack up our home and we did send a lot of things to the goodwill and we still have stuff in boxes that will most likely end up going the same way. We haven’t needed them so they should go to someone who might need them.

Some things have sentimental value though. I am not a knick-knack person. I don’t like clutter. I do have some things my kids have bought me that I won’t get rid of. They remind me of that stage of their lives as well as mine. I don’t keep touristy souvenirs from trips. I tend to buy one or two really nice pieces of art and they remind me of the lovely time we had.

I do have a ton of books, and a ton of CD’s. I can imagine a time when I am forced to transfer all the books onto a kindle, and all the CDs onto a iPod.
I have thousands of DVDs. I cannot disgard them for Netflix streaming, though, because the streaming doesn’t have subtitles or closed captioning. I am also a fool for the directors commentary, and other stuff.

@filmfann thousands of DVDs? Where do you keep them?

I have homemade vases filled with fake flowers on every counter, table and bookcase; hundreds of VCR tapes with movies, documentaries, TV shows and family videos on them; thousands of books in every room of the house, cupboards full of formal dishes, silverware and glassware with one china service for 12 and a stoneware service for 8; dozens of candle holders and candles scattered here and there; three table top water fountains, four TV’s; boxes and boxes of craft items waiting to create gifts for charity donations.

It’s not that you want to keep useless stuff’\; it’s that it takes energy to get rid of it—sometimes, in these days of reusing and recycling—a lot of energy.

Today, I took a bunch of old oil-based paint, some florescent bulbs and some three old computers to the hazardous waste drop-off place that they organize about once a year. This stuff has been sitting in hallways for over a year now, just taking up space. It is such a relief to get rid of it,

But it’s not simple. I had to open up every one of those machines so I could remove the hard drive. Too much data that shouldn’t get into anyone’s hands there. But it’s gone. Now our place looks neater. Although there’s still a lot to take to the clothes reseller.

@Blackberry, I know you weren’t being bossy. ;) Selling it online or even in a garage sale takes effort and time. I’m not sure if I’m up to it. I would give someone 50% to do it for me. If only I could find such a person.

@wilma This is what I do.

@HungryGuy Adult books. Uncensored. Wowwowwoo. :3

I most certainly have a lot of crap. I’m a hoarder. In fact, just today, I found a necklace outside, with a wooden heart on it that said ’‘Angélique’’. I thought it was pretty, so I took it. I kinda feel bad if someone right now is really looking for it though…but it was just there on the ground. I also found a Saw II hard framed movie poster by the street this Summer. It now hangs in my living room. That it’s a horror movie poster has nothing to do with it being horror. (maybe a little)
I have too much stuff. Seriously. Thousands of video game and Goth fashion magazines, books, candles, trinkets, cushions, (Soft! :D) I even keep broken appliances like TV’s and old toasters. My basement is full of stuff like that, as well as furniture that people don’t want anymore, and I offer to take it from them. There is a lot that of stuff I end up giving out to people though. It might pain me to part with it, but really, if I’m not gonna use a kitchen table ever, it’s better being with someone who needs some furniture than with me, who’s prolly not going to be using it. I’ll just stock up later on anyways lol.

Many of my stuff, if not most, I don’t need. However there is a method to my madness, and my place is spic and span and orderly. I hate messy shit, things have to be neatly stored away or put in order. I actually have a lot of fun putting all my crap in order. I can’t give you much of a reason why I do this because I do not know. I just like having a buncha useless crap. It feels like I’m giving them a home lol. I know it sounds crazy, but it feels to me that objects have personalities and souls, and I hate to part with things because it feels like abandoning a kitten that doesn’t have a home lol. Especially if they’re stuffed animals or porcelain dolls. As a kid though, I lived in some pretty badass poverty, and I hear that poor people like to amass stuff because it gives them a sense of importance and worth. Like homeless dudes wearing seven Winter jackets and three hats during Summer heatwaves. Maybe it’s that. I denno.

Don’t offer me anything; whether or not I need it, I’ll take it lol. I’m also shy and can never say no. But for once, that actually works out, because I like the results. I don’t actually buy all that much stuff or jump up on souvenirs though. If I do, it’s because I think I need it at the time. But I’ll keep it even if, after all, it’s pretty much useless lol.

LMFAO! I’m not laughing at you growing up poor, it was the first paragraph that did it for me.

I plame to ease! Wait what lol. Glad it made you laugh! :) I guess I coulda prolly wrote that better though lol. XD Still, troo storee :D Cute little necklace. :)

You should wear that necklace around until someone notices…...

They might ask me if that’s my name, but otherwise, I don’t think anyone will notice.

Not because there isn’t anyone to notice the necklace, obviously someone had this before, but because, what are the chances…

Just stop kiddin’ yourself and throw it back on the ground. Haha.

But what if no one finds it, and it ends up falling into some sewer or some shit? If it meant something to someone, then okay, but I’d hope their feelings and experiences which lead to that necklace being important are a lot more important than some mere silly object. Funny coming from a hoarder, it dun need to be out pointed. XD

Meh, it’s whatev, brah. I don’t care if you hoard actual hoarders lol.

I got people, in my basement! Thye’d be in my attic, if I had one of those. :D

Too many DVD’s man..

@MRSHINYSHOES – Plenty of adult books, like The Joy Of Sex and its many spin-offs. But mostly science fiction novels and lots of computer books. And I probably have at least one or two books on just about every topic imaginable…

I’m always reluctant to sell/throw out/give to charity the kids old toys & games. It’s like a part of me wants to weep like a baby at the thought of losing them forever. Besides, I imagine myself as an old man sitting playing with Teletubbies on the lawn & serving them imaginary cups of tea & shit. You have to plan for those retirement years ya know!