Can It Be, I'm One of THOSE People ?

[robberbaron4u]

The Brioni of reference does need to go, free, to a "good home"; it is tagged as a 50R EURO (40R "American"). I was a 38R at the time and it fit me very nicely. The material is a bold wool plaid, and the trimming is black. If anyone has an interest in it, please PM me.

[ErieBear]

Someone really needs to smack...me ! ( )

 

Are you looking for volunteers?

[robberbaron4u]

Some collect postcards or bric-a-bracs as souvenirs of their travels; I frequented haberdasheries. As to the valets, I plead quilty as charged.

[Samai139]

It's refreshing to know that there are others out "there" who struggle with keeping clutter under control. Advice already given is certainly valuable:

Move every ten years or less

Move into smaller quarters, rather than larger

Honestly evaluate what you have and if you can live without it, get rid of it

I'll add a couple of other bits:

Use linens, including towels, bed sheets, etc. until they are threadworn, not just "out of style, this year"

Take these threadbare items to the nearest animal shelter. They can always use them for bedding.

Get into the habit of asking "Do I NEED this or do I just WANT it? Chances are you don't need it---saves on clutter

Use the OHIO method when it comes to paper items: Only Handle It Once then it's GONE.

Clothes: if you haven't worn it in two years, chances are you never will. Donate it to someone---VOA, Goodwill, etc.

Books: donate those books you have no attachment to to your public library or if you need cash---Ebay or Craigslist

Ask someone you trust to come in and go through your "stuff" with you---I ask my favourite neice to come every four

or five years---she's brutal about "stuff" but almost always right when it comes to "Keep or Toss?"

Final bit of advice? Look at your stuff and ask yourself: "Do I really want my heirs, executors, whoever, to have to go

through all of this when I die?? Chances are if you don't chuck it, they will and think less of you for burdening them

with the job.

[+ Travis69]

I just hope that I get 24 hours notice before I die so I can get rid of all the incriminating items (Porn, toys, etc.) and erase the hard drive on my computer.

[Samai139]

Travis---I'm smiling broadly because I have had the same thoughts many times. One of the reasons I got rid of a lot, well quite a bit, of printed '80's porn several years ago. My hard drive? Guess I'll just keep transfering those "Save As...." photos from the Galery to cds and hope I have enough notice to get rid of them, but if I don't? Well Shit Happens. Wouldn't want to see the look on my Executor's face if she loads those cds into a computer and clicks "run."

[jjkrkwood]

It's refreshing to know that there are others out "there" who struggle with keeping clutter under control. Advice already given is certainly valuable:

Move every ten years or less

Move into smaller quarters, rather than larger

Honestly evaluate what you have and if you can live without it, get rid of it

I'll add a couple of other bits:

Use linens, including towels, bed sheets, etc. until they are threadworn, not just "out of style, this year"

Take these threadbare items to the nearest animal shelter. They can always use them for bedding.

Get into the habit of asking "Do I NEED this or do I just WANT it? Chances are you don't need it---saves on clutter

Use the OHIO method when it comes to paper items: Only Handle It Once then it's GONE.

Clothes: if you haven't worn it in two years, chances are you never will. Donate it to someone---VOA, Goodwill, etc.

Books: donate those books you have no attachment to to your public library or if you need cash---Ebay or Craigslist

Ask someone you trust to come in and go through your "stuff" with you---I ask my favourite neice to come every four

or five years---she's brutal about "stuff" but almost always right when it comes to "Keep or Toss?"

Final bit of advice? Look at your stuff and ask yourself: "Do I really want my heirs, executors, whoever, to have to go

through all of this when I die?? Chances are if you don't chuck it, they will and think less of you for burdening them

with the job.

 

Although I have always been 100% OUT, I really dont want them to have to see or deal with my dildo collection. Its just NOT right !

[jjkrkwood]

Travis---I'm smiling broadly because I have had the same thoughts many times. One of the reasons I got rid of a lot, well quite a bit, of printed '80's porn several years ago. My hard drive? Guess I'll just keep transfering those "Save As...." photos from the Galery to cds and hope I have enough notice to get rid of them, but if I don't? Well Shit Happens. Wouldn't want to see the look on my Executor's face if she loads those cds into a computer and clicks "run."

 

Time for me to get rid of that cabinet full on Inches and Latin Inches magazines. Noone even buys these anymore..... But they sure served their purpose in THEIR day.

[ErieBear]

If you're really serious about cleaning and organizing your house, check out http://flylady.net/ She's got a lot of great tips for helping people organize. She is geared towards the housewife, so take that in mind. Oh yea, if you sign up for her emails, you'll get about 8 or 9 a day. They're timed to go out to remind of you different things during the day.

[jjkrkwood]

If you're really serious about cleaning and organizing your house, check out http://flylady.net/ She's got a lot of great tips for helping people organize. She is geared towards the housewife, so take that in mind. Oh yea, if you sign up for her emails, you'll get about 8 or 9 a day. They're timed to go out to remind of you different things during the day.

 

Is there a reminder for you to Check the reminders?

[gallahadesquire]

About two years ago, I was admitted to the hospital with an infected, fractured hip. And I was a hoarder. My sister came to visit when I was in the intensive care unit, and had her pout face on. "I had your house cleaned." I was ready to murder her - for fifteen seconds. "Thank you" was the reply.

 

My only regret was that my Rolex bit the dust. I had it for 35 years, so it was sentimental value, and a unique dial that more than one Rolex dealer has said they've never seen on another watch.

 

Saturday, 3/24, is the second anniversary of my permanent hip replacement (the first was just antibiotics). It's good to be alive.

[Guest verymarried]

These are really interesting posts. Thanks for them! I had a wonderful elderly friend who "collected" and after she became 80, she developed a policy she called "give one thing away each day." You would get a note from her occasionally to "drop by, I have something for you." It was a nice way to dispose of her collections by trying to think which of her friends, museums etc could benefit the most from her household items.

[seeker630]

I just hope that I get 24 hours notice before I die so I can get rid of all the incriminating items (Porn, toys, etc.) and erase the hard drive on my computer.

 

As I recall, the first episode of the UK version of Queer As Folk begins with one character's friends going though his apartment & disposing of toys, porn, etc. before the family comes in.

 

I've been meaning to make similar arrangemernts but never seem to get around to it.

[Samai139]

These are really interesting posts. Thanks for them! I had a wonderful elderly friend who "collected" and after she became 80, she developed a policy she called "give one thing away each day." You would get a note from her occasionally to "drop by, I have something for you." It was a nice way to dispose of her collections by trying to think which of her friends, museums etc could benefit the most from her household items.

 

I'm not 80 but when I retired I adapted a similar policy. Every day I pledged to get rid of something. At first it was easy---dropping used clothes off at the local Roman Catholic church where they had a large shed for just that purpose, going through all the "papers" that accumulated and shredding most of the ones that were no longer necessary, tossing magazines that I had saved, for whatever reason and I had never looked at, trying to find a place which would accept videotapes---literally scores of them which I had used for various educational purposes---couldn't find anyone who wanted them, so they went to a recycling centre, going through all the closets and getting rid of anything which I hadn't used for a couple of years---amazing what kinds of things I found "squirreled" away in the back of each closet.

I think you get the idea. Now I've simplified enough so that I don't get rid of something every DAY, but still toss something every WEEK. It becomes a habit and one that helps keep "stuff" under control.

[Racketjock]

I think I can claim to not be a hoarder, certainly obsessive compulsive, but an avid collector of china, silver, crystal, books, and art. I have collected more than is reasonable of all of them. I bought them because they were mementos of places I have visited, times shared, or occasions remembered. As another poster mentioned, I have taken these past 4 years to intentionally giving them away for a good cause, to a nephew or niece (if a family heirloom) while sharing a story or memory, or selling off to fund my retirement. I have a ways to go!

[foxy]

The worst thing is to have a house with an attic, basement and a garage. So easy to just stick things there and deal with it "later" which never comes. The more I throw away the more I find. My late mother who was never sentimental about things (I have nothing from my childhood) always gave good if somewhat brutal advice. Once, coming home from a trip I told her I was putting photos in an album. She said "I don't know why you take all those pictures, no one will want them when you're gone". I remember thinking that was harsh. Last year I threw away thousands of slides and 3 slide projectors. Pictures from trips that I hadn't looked at in years. I still have about 50 photo albums but I know that no one will want them when I'm gone. It make me laugh. We all have too much stuff!