I’m getting a new bedroom set, replacing the bed from when I was married. I upgraded the mattress last year and finally got tired of looking at the headboard. A new dresser and night stand were part of a package deal so I treated myself.
That isn’t the problem with too much stuff because I’m getting rid of the old bed. I decided to keep the old dresser in the walk-in closet and replace some cheap fabric hanging shelves with it. Wow I had a lot of clothes stuffed in there. Like, I can’t believe it. The dresser is packed with workout gear since I put all my running stuff in there and a few other random assortments of stuff.
So I went on a massive purge and have 4 big garbage bags of clothes ready for donation. I’m sending a pile of running shirts to an STer who’s living in Thailand. I have too many expensive purses I don’t use and I’m selling those. I still have too much stuff.
In addition to the clothes, I had 5 extra throw pillows. I had 6 comforter covers. I had mismatched sheets. This really isn’t even scratching the surface because I’m afraid to go into my extra room that serves as the pantry/cat room/office/library/random storage room.
I’ve been trying to do the 1 in, 1 out and mostly successful but the problem is I still had too much to start with.
My apartment is in utter chaos. How did all of this stuff hide from me? It is embarrassing. I don’t need it! And I still have more work to do.
I signed the lease on my apartment for another year. I’ve got to purge more stuff because a 3rd year here would be more ridiculous amounts of stuff creeping in. The longer you live somewhere, the worse it gets.
I had to vent. I feel better now.
I suspect I’m not the only one here.
ETA: I just remembered I have an outside storage space. I’m pretty sure it is only empty boxes but I haven’t been in there for at least 6 months.
It never gets any better. My wife and I threw out an obscene amount of stuff when we moved from Austin to Denver last fall. We have a house with about 1100 sf more space than we had in Austin and we have less stuff, but we still have nowhere to put all the stuff we still have. We haven’t really bought much additional stuff since we moved, except for my 2-yr old daughter, but we use one of our extra bedrooms as her playroom, so we ought to have enough space for our stuff. Yet, we don’t.
When I got divorced I simultaneously lost my job due to the economy. My ex bought a ton of crap when we were married, but when she moved out she didn’t really want anything. Basically, she wanted to start anew and didn’t want to deal with her old life other than me sending check for her half of the sale of our house. So, I had this nearly 4000 square foot space to clear out as I prepared to move into a much smaller 850 square foot bachelor pad.
I went on craigslist and sold most of everything we had. Since I was on a deadline, I had a newly married couple that bought some of it and then I just kept on giving them a great deal on everything else I was trying to get rid of. I think they ended up taking about 4 trailer-fulls. It worked out great for everyone: they got some really nice stuff for next to nothing and I got some cash and someone to move all the crap out of my house that I never wanted in the first place. Whatever was left I donated.
The whole thing made me realize how much I hate buying stuff and going overboard with material items. Even if I ever have the means again, I will never buy a big house again and become trapped by the stuff I own. I am basically poor now, but I am much happier living a more spartan existence.
We are right there too! We live in an 850 sq. ft condo and are 1 month from becoming a family of 5! The STUFF is amazing! We are down to getting rid of books to make room for other “stuff” that has nowhere to go. The books are being donated or going to family, but that is barely scratching the surface! We don’t know if baby #3 is a boy or girl - so not only do we have all of the oldest boys stuff in boxes for boy #2 - but everything boy #2 has outgrown is in boxes to go to #3 - unless it’s a girl, then we’ll be able to get rid of almost 3 years of boy clothes and start stocking up on girl stuff that we’ll thankfully never have to store (this is the last baby). The hubby and I purge regularly, but it still seems like we have crap everywhere and nowhere to put anything else… not even sure where to baby is going to sleep yet! ha. Seriously - no crib set up yet, boys room is full - need new beds for them (the youngest still uses the crib as a day bed)… We’re screwed!
I’m the opposite of a hoarder, whatever you’d call it. I get great satisfaction in throwing things away, knowing I’ll never have to see them again. A few times, I’ve thrown some things away that I’ve needed later on. That sucks. I also find moving is a wonderful opportunity to purge. Not having to pack, move, and unpack is a great motivator. You’re only been in your place 3 years so it shouldn’t be that bad. Wait until you’re lived in a place with a big basement, garage and attic for 10 years. That’s when things can get out of hand.
We have a 53’ semi parked in our front yard - it has been there for a year and a half. It is filled with stuff - primarily because we moved from 4,000 sf to 1,200 with no storage. After we get our garage built (36x36 with a 24x36 loft) we will have an idea of what we will need here long-term, and hopefully the rest will go to charity. Problem is, most things in there are toys 12 bikes, 10 sets of winter skis, 3 sets of water skis, wakeboard, snow board, knee board, 3 tubes, 2 wetsuits, a unicycle, etc. (all of which we use depending on the season). We also keep off season clothes up there, kitchen stuff we do not have room for right now, and holiday decorations.
I suffered from the “too much stuff” syndrome. I started with making a get rid of box, everyday I would put something in it I thought I didn’t need, at the end of week I would get rid of everything in the box unless I decided it might have use after all. This prevented me from getting rid of stuff I might regret. It worked for a while, but I just didn’t keep it up. So last time I moved I really went on a purge, I had literally 22 large bags of stuff I got rid of. You know what? I haven’t missed one thing I got rid of. I did choose one thing I wasn’t going to sacrifice, I still have about 2200 books. It was approximately 30 boxes for the library last move, not planning to move again anytime soon.
I did a huge purge when I got divorced and sold the house. He left 80% of his stuff behind for me to deal with. I got rid of 1.5 trucks from 1800GotJunk and was doing pretty good.
I keep a garbage bag in my bedroom and when I try something on and I don’t like how it looks or doesn’t fit I toss it. I’m pretty brutal but I feel like I don’t make any progress.
I think the stuff gets together at night and breeds.
I’m the opposite of a hoarder, whatever you’d call it. I get great satisfaction in throwing things away, knowing I’ll never have to see them again. A few times, I’ve thrown some things away that I’ve needed later on. That sucks. I also find moving is a wonderful opportunity to purge. Not having to pack, move, and unpack is a great motivator. You’re only been in your place 3 years so it shouldn’t be that bad. Wait until you’re lived in a place with a big basement, garage and attic for 10 years. That’s when things can get out of hand.
Right there with you. I never owned some things people consider necessities such as a bed or furniture of any kind before I was married and all of my worldly possessions fit in two large plastic bins. I moved across the country four separate times for school and work, having very few possessions makes it so easy.
Our (me, wife, 2yr old daughter) apartment is ~700 sq. ft. and it feels spacious. Crazy how my mother’s home, all 3500+ sq ft of it with three inhabitants, feels claustrophobic. We own very little furniture, barely enough kitchenware for three people for a single meal, and no TV. I got really lucky, the wife doesn’t like a lot of “stuff” either. We do have grandparents on each side who like to spoil the kid, so we make a monthly run to Deseret Industries (local thrift store) and it is something I genuinely look forward to.
My father and I had a conversation about this topic this morning. I have much too much stuff and people pay me to help them purge. I own about 100 pair of socks, over 50 pair of shoes and have two feet. 30+ pair of jeans and only two legs. About the same in jackets and one torso. I tend to buy in multiples and love to shop for clothing and toiletries. I spend a lot of money on clothing but tend to wear the same look due to work. Clothing is rarely given away because it is all well taken care of, same with shoes as I still have some from high school. Household goods are in plenty since many have been given.
If I get tired of looking at stuff, it is donated, given to friends or sold on ebay. My friends make out like thieves when they come to visit.
Between my father and I, we have more than a good share of tools that will probably be loaned to the local rehab program to teach men building and construction skills.
Oddly enough I bought a condo that is less than half the size of my house thinking it would nice to live with less but could not move into it because the two closets are too small.
It’s all relative but I recall getting back from Peace corps and really being upset by a few people & all their stuff. Years later married w kids. We are working on purging but we are better than most. We can park both cars in the 2 car garage. Our shed is tiny & not even full. Very little crap in the back yard. Guest room & kids rooms don’t even have full closets. But we still have too much… I often walk through the neighborhood & wonder. There are people with garages filled to overflowing.
I got rid of a bunch of stuff when I moved here and have tried to not add, though when there are massive sales on really good purses…
Since I married the right type of girl (the type that uses a NY Public Library canvas messenger bag as her “daily driver” and has maybe two others for more formal occasions) I have no idea why women find it necessary to spend tons of money on many different purses. What’s the point of that? Do you match them with your outfit? Do you choose one based on what you need to haul? Do you move everything over every day? And what’s with the prices of those things? It’s even more insane than tribikes.
Not criticizing - spend your money or whatever you want. Just curious.
June 7 is our garage sale day this year… (community sale) we did over $300 last time. I paid 10 or 20 to get a priority kijiji ad combined with a community wide sale, we had a ton of traffic. Having good kid stuff helps.
I got rid of a bunch of stuff when I moved here and have tried to not add, though when there are massive sales on really good purses…
Since I married the right type of girl (the type that uses a NY Public Library canvas messenger bag as her “daily driver” and has maybe two others for more formal occasions) I have no idea why women find it necessary to spend tons of money on many different purses. What’s the point of that? Do you match them with your outfit? Do you choose one based on what you need to haul? Do you move everything over every day? And what’s with the prices of those things? It’s even more insane than tribikes.
Not criticizing - spend your money or whatever you want. Just curious.
The wife has two purses, they are Dooney & Bourke (no idea what that means, but apparently they retail for $300+), but she got them at an estate sale for $2.50 each. A girl I dated in undergrad had at least $50k in purses; I once spent a day being her human shopping cart as she spent ~$6k on bags. Dumped her real quick.
I do have my man-bag, filled at all times with food, change of clothes, whatever books I happen to be reading at the moment. http://www.dsgear.com/products/bpp#&panel1-1, black goes with everything.