Ever feel like you've got too much stuff?

When I finished Uni and moved back in with my parents for the following summer I had way too much stuff.

I'd filled two rooms in my parents house (my bedroom and a den) as well as my room at Uni. I'd also furnished the shared house at uni with a TV and some other bits and pieces.

I decided that if I was going to go out into the world and start a career, I'd need to be flexible and nimble so that I could go where the work was without too much hassle.

I spent the whole of that summer selling, giving or throwing away almost everything I had; prioritising those things which were essential and being ruthless with anything else.

Even things that I couldn't part with, like my DVD collection, got de-cluttered. I ripped them all to my laptop so I could still watch them but donated the physical media to my parents (tripling their DVD repertoire).

In then end, I had a smallish suitcase with my cloths and a laptop backpack filled with camera, computer, chargers and mobile phone, and a guitar.

When I started my first job this was all I had (as well as bedding). I got a room in a shared house and it took me all of five minutes to move in!

Since then, I've moved in with my girlfriend of two years and inevitably the clutter has started to accumulate again.

However, I still think I'm travelling light, especially compared to how I used to live.

It's a big leap getting rid of nearly everything you own and I was motivated by the requirement to find work, but it's certainly liberating if you can take the plunge.
 
The only thing I can't throw out is books that I loved. They are like old friends and I like having them on a shelf where the sight of them can give me little flashbacks and raise a smile or two. :)

Apart from that I'm really quite ruthless since moving house.
 
Yeah I think I've got too much stuff, I recently had my eyes opened to it when a mate moved house. He had so much rubbish he was like -"what is all this crap, I don't need it, take something with you!"

So I came home and realised I was exactly the same, keeping **** I just don't need. So had a massive clear out, filled a car with stuff and gave it to charity, felt very good, but I still have a load of crap that I need to sort out.

edit: I'm the same with my climbing gear, I haven't used it in 10 years but such a strong bond with it I can't bring myself to dump it :(
 
Rich_L said:
Nope! Emigrating to a different country has a certain slimming effect on your personal possessions :p
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It sure does, but after moving countries it didn't take long for it to build up :D

I have a lot of electronic stuff that we don't really use but I never get around to selling it.

But I do feel that I have managed to not gather so much small crap that never gets used. I'd say that if we move again, everything we currently own we would bring with us.
 
As an undergrad student I accumulated stuff and things like made. Had several moves since and managed to whittle down some of the stuff but a fair bit had made it into the attic and just hidden there.

Probably should remove some of it at some point
 
Yep, I have a house full of junk that wasn't even bought by me, just acquired from clearing parent's houses, relatives and an office.
It's a nightmare because it makes it almost impossible to move house.
 
Nope. I own very very little. Got blanket, sheets and some clothes in my wardrobe. A laptop, bible and a poetry book.

Oh and 4 cans of guinness.
 
I have accumulated a lot of crap over the years, or have things that i have not used in years and only recently began a spring clean because basically i do have too much stuff.

Now before i buy something, I ask the question of

"Do you NEED it?"

rather than WANT it.
 
I've just had a damn good clear out. I just need to clear some stuff out the garage now, namely a car, a load of wheels and a tube bender that I don't use.
 
I've had a massive clear out of junk over the past few months. My entire DVD/Blu-ray collection has been replaced by digital copies on a HTPC, which saves a mountain of space; I have binned or sold all electronic gadgets or PC components that I haven't used in the past year (got £70 for a mint condition DS Lite with two games - not bad); and I've got rid of every box, jiffy bag, etc, that I kept in storage in case I needed them. All of my old magazines, except for a few great issues, also found their way into the bin.

Hoarding is a terrible habit. You don't actually need 75% of the crap you've accumulated - identify what you actually use (not what is potentially useful at some point in the distant future), what has resale value and get rid of the rest.
 
mrbell1984 said:
I think this is the problem these days. It's I WANT it rather than I NEED it.
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I am very guilty of that in the past and even now i give in every now and again. For example i bought myself a surround sound system last month.

I don't need it, nobody NEEDS a home theatre.

But i am trying, i moved the purchase line a bit more over to the NEED section. I refrain buying new Blurays now. I used to buy a DVD every week, basically every new release. I learn my lesson and i have had my BR player for 3 years now but only own 20 BR. I get them from LoveFilm now.

I also stopped buying CDs too (i don't download much either), instead i still buy music, but only from artist i love and a fan of. It does mean i miss out a lot of new stuff as i don't listen to radio buy it also save me a lot of money.

The basic things that one needs.

Food, shelter and warmth.

Then it is a level of comfort and luxury really.
 
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Due to renting and moving every few years I've learnt to keep the clutter to a minimum, had a huge clear out last July to move to another place and got rid of 4 medium sized boxes of books and about 3 bin bags of clothes.

Along with my entire PC/games stuff/CD/DVDs.

I absolutely love having no clutter in the flat!
 
After Christmas we had a massive clearout.5 bin liners of clothing from our wardrobes , 6 bin liners of old toys the kids never play with and a trailer full of gear from the garage. Now feels like our house can breathe again.
 
Being a student with not a lot of money to my name and not a lot of space to store stuff I probably don't have that much stuff simply because I can't afford/store it.

I have a fair amount of stuff but every 6 months or so go around and chuck out/sell/give away whatever I don't want anymore. Which reminds me i've got an old phone which I don't need anymore, time to chuck that as no way anyone would buy it. Kinda a shame as I paid £300 for it when I was 14, which to me was a huge amount of money :(.

I have a lot of computer stuff, and want/need a lot more, but that is mostly justified by my job. Infact it's one of the better aspects to my job, I can justify gadgets :p.

There's loads of stuff I want, although almost all of it has a purpose, there's not really anything I want which isn't useful other than video games and a bigger engine for my car :D.

Most media I buy now is either downloaded or rented (love film), but only because it's cheaper :o.

Edit: this thread reminds me, if anyone is near linslade and wants a **** load of RC car parts for cheap give me an e-mail :p:D.
 
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