Clearing out.

[ferretchucker]

Every few months or so I'll just kind of re-evaluate my room, and I'm sure I'll do this on a house wide scale when I'm older. Afterwards I just have this feeling of accomplishment, but at the same time I wonder how I accumulated so much stuff.

Does anyone else do this or am I just a bit weird? And moreover, do you find yourself looking at something you bought years ago and thinking "It's useless, I never look twice at it...but I can't bring myself to chuck it!"?

[TheWickerFan]

I do that sort of thing all the time (and on a house-wide scale). It's very therapeutic.

Visitors are always amazed at the fact that I have a two-car garage and can park both cars in it.

[The Mothman]

Im kind of a hoarder and love to collect things, (not like the ones on the show "hoarders" though) - hate throwing things out. prefer to keep things clean though.

[cheebacheeba]

I keep things, because I like forgetting about them and rediscovering them next time I have occasion to move things around...Lets you revisit some memories you may not know you had.
I will "tidy" and move things around on occasion but yes if there's something in the way or not being used, unless it's actually broken or something it'll go in a box in the garage or under the bed or whathaveyou

[fortunato]

Cleaning my room usually consists of planning to throw a bunch of old stuff away, moving all of it, then putting it back to where it was before.

[nightmare_of _death]

When I'm cleaning, I do find myself getting rid of a few things, but not a lot. I keep some stuff, just 'cause I want to remember it, like birthday cards, I know they stack up, but I try and keep them( at least some of them), but nothing's a mess, my stuff is generally organized. What I do get rid of if it's able to be donated I do donate it, if not into the trash it goes.

[ferretchucker]

I used to be a real hoarder. Something small as an eraser which make have been a souvenir from a school trip I'd keep. Near enough anything that was a gift I'd feel TERRIBLE about throwing away, but of late I've decided that I need to get out of that mindset. It's a bit like cleaning stuff off your desktop. There might be some icons which you THOUGHT you'd need there, but you can't remember the last time you felt the need to click it, so you bin it.

[cheebacheeba]

If I've got things that I have too many of, things still in usable condition or that I have chosen to "get rid of" in the end, I'll generally take it to, what you US/UK folk might call a "good will" store?
Like yknow, charity organisations run them...good place to get some vintage random stuff at pretty low prices?
I shop there, which is in turn donating...and I also donate "stuff" on the odd occasion, theyre actually great to go to if you're a VHS/vinyl enthusiast too.

[TheWickerFan]

I used to be a real hoarder. Something small as an eraser which make have been a souvenir from a school trip I'd keep. Near enough anything that was a gift I'd feel TERRIBLE about throwing away, but of late I've decided that I need to get out of that mindset. It's a bit like cleaning stuff off your desktop. There might be some icons which you THOUGHT you'd need there, but you can't remember the last time you felt the need to click it, so you bin it.

I couldn't agree with you more.

I have two children and it was really tough the day I made the decision not to keep everything from their early years (talk about sentimental attachments!!); but most of their baby stuff was stored in the basement and I thought, do I really want to keep all this stuff in the damp basement for the grandchildren? I think not.

I got rid of everything except a couple of little treasures, and I don't regret the decision at all. I love having open space and being able to find things with ease.

[Ferox13]

I really hope those people in OXfam appreciate my Guinea Pig box set :-)

[ferretchucker]

If I've got things that I have too many of, things still in usable condition or that I have chosen to "get rid of" in the end, I'll generally take it to, what you US/UK folk might call a "good will" store?
Like yknow, charity organisations run them...good place to get some vintage random stuff at pretty low prices?
I shop there, which is in turn donating...and I also donate "stuff" on the odd occasion, theyre actually great to go to if you're a VHS/vinyl enthusiast too.

Oh yeah, my mum does the Charity Shop (as they're called here) run fairly often. All old clothes, any old toys that we can find or books.

[crabapple]

Oh yeah--I love those Goodwill stores/charity shops. They usually have vhs tapes that are interesting, sometimes a cool thing like a Halloween coffee mug or some weird toy. Cheep, cheep cheep! I got a small table lamp last week at one of these.