House clutter

LabR@t · 5 Nov 2017 at 18:55

Looking around my gaf today, I have realised it's full of clutter and I hoard stuff.

Help me, how do I decide what to dump?

Andrew_McP · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:13

Imagine you were walking past a skip full of stuff exactly like yours. What would you want to carry home and keep?

A more extreme variant of this technique is to set fire to your home. You'll find out very quickly what you value. ;-)

LabR@t · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:19

That's the trouble I would probably the lot

Ocean Breeze · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:24

For each item ask yourself do you use it? If no get rid.

Randomface74 · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:35

Dump everything you haven't used in the last month.

BennyC · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:45

Yourself, throw yourself out.

LOAM · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:46

If in doubt, chuck it out.

Woden · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:47

Put everything in boxes, anything not used in 30 days gets binned.

LabR@t · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:49

Hmm what if I need it next month? I have to big bags of computer cables in a cupboard, not touched in ages but I might need them one day!
I feel like getting rid of everything in own at moment

sigma · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:49

Pics. Of gf etc.

[FnG]magnolia · 5 Nov 2017 at 19:54

LabR@t said:
That's the trouble I would probably the lot

NEVER probably the lot. That path leads to.

Randomface74 · 5 Nov 2017 at 20:00

LabR@t said:
Hmm what if I need it next month? I have to big bags of computer cables in a cupboard, not touched in ages but I might need them one day!
I feel like getting rid of everything in own at moment

That whole "what if" will be the reason you've got all this random stuff.
If you want to change your ways, start by forgetting about "what if".
Just don't worry about it.

Fishbait · 5 Nov 2017 at 20:03

Do you still use it, or think you really ever will? If yes, keep it. If no, bin it.
Do you still talk to him/her or think you really ever will? If yes, keep it him/her. If no, bin it him/her.

adolf hamster · 5 Nov 2017 at 21:41

look at each item and ask yourself "have i used this in the past 7 years", if the answer is no then keep it another 7 years just in case

memyselfandi · 5 Nov 2017 at 21:54

Surely nowadays you don't throw them out ... you put them on MM or eBay for a few pence so you can then clutter someone else's house instead of your own ...

mistersprinkles · 6 Nov 2017 at 01:49

It's simple to decide what to throw out. Can you sell it? Can you extract any more use from it? Will you ever use it again? Is it actual garbage? Is it a box for something that's still under warranty?

If it's completely useless to you, and you can't sell it, bin it.

Semple · 6 Nov 2017 at 09:38

Do you have anything that's broken or doesn't quite work as well. - any electrical item really.

From a couple of hoarder programs i've seen on TV, these people seem to also keep hold of broken things with the intention of fixing them. Either a) they're not worth fixing, and easier to buy new, b) they're too expensive to fix, or c) they don't know how to fix them. It's the mindset that repairing it brings it back to functional use again.

Rifte · 6 Nov 2017 at 10:15

When we moved overseas the amount of 'stuff' that we had to ditch was ridiculous.

We sent the important stuff in a container but we badly underestimated what we had left.

We had to make some really tough decisions (alongside some easy ones), but it cleared us out completely. It filled an 8 foot skip!

I always wind my wife up that she could get a slot on 'Hoarders'. She is notorious for keeping what in my mind is ****.

dirtychinchilla · 6 Nov 2017 at 10:31

Look up Konmari. It's a strategy to deal with what you're feeling.

MassiveJim · 6 Nov 2017 at 10:45

Rifte said:
When we moved overseas the amount of 'stuff' that we had to ditch was ridiculous.

We sent the important stuff in a container but we badly underestimated what we had left.

We had to make some really tough decisions (alongside some easy ones), but it cleared us out completely. It filled an 8 foot skip!

I always wind my wife up that she could get a slot on 'Hoarders'. She is notorious for keeping what in my mind is ****.

birthday/valentine cards
"keepsakes"
absolute ****

it all sits in a box in the loft and gets looked at for 30 - 60 minutes about every 2/3 years.

In fact I reckon I could chuck it, claim ignorance and she'd probably never know.
Our house is small and cluttered, I constantly moan that its a mess, she is currently using the excuse that she has nowheer to put stuff because our youngest daughters room isn't ready yet.
But I know that nothing will change even when the room is ready.

I need to employ one of these techniques for clearing clutter and create some space.