How to part with 'things'?

[slleipnir]

So, I want to clean my room from top to bottom, and arrange things nicer. However, I have this problem with keeping EVERYTHING!!!! It could be stupid trash that I probably wouldn't miss, but I can't throw it away. So everything ends up in my room, and it keeps growing, and growing. I just don't have room left for it. I emptied my shelfs the other day, just to move the junk into my closet So I have a huge stack of things in there....How do I get rid of it?!?! -hugs her junk-

[vinjashira]

have you tried ebay? you can make money with stuff you no longer need.

[K9soul]

I understand what you are saying, I have a hard time throwing out things too. Not useful things but things like papers and cards and even old calendars because I love the pictures and can't stand to throw them away . I kept an old desktop calendar and used the pages for bookmarks and as notes and lists. I have an old address book that I've had since my grandma gave it to me as a kid, it is so worn out and outdated and I got a new one and moved over the pertinent addresses, but I couldn't get myself to throw it out. It had a note from Grandma in it and addresses and phone numbers of childhood friends. My husband is the opposite and has no problem throwing out "useless" junk.

I can't give you any advice cause I'm the same way, but I know exactly what you mean

[catnapper]

Ahhh... the age old question! I too fight with that problem. But the older I get the easier it gets. I am tired of junk piled in piles, and all I seem to do is move one pile to another pile, and move that pile to somewhere else. *sigh*

Follow these rules:
Make three piles -
Trash
Keep
donate/sell

Look at things critically. Is it broken or damaged in any way tomake it less desireable? trash it

Do you use this item every day, or at least a few times a year? Does it have EXTREME sentimental value? Keep it

Have you not dusted it off or looked at it in over a year? Donate/sell it.


I have all my journals and drawings I've made since the 5th grade stored in my house. They are extremely sentimental to me. the teddy bear I got from my first boyfriend? That was trashed as soon as the relationship was. I still have the ring an ex gave me, but that is in a "someday I'll sell it on ebay" pile... someday I will! I swear!

I have clothes beyond clothes in the basement from my "skinny" days. I sorely need to trash them. I'll never be that thin again and they are starting to take on the damp basement odor (PU!)

I have kept my Barbies, but am planning on selling them (any takers, huh? huh? ) I have recently went through and trashed all the photos of past friends. I have dumped photos with thumbs in the middle of the pictures (why on earth did I keep them to start with?)

Get the idea? Its hard, but does get easier as you go along.

[petslover]

I would love to know the answer to this too! I keep everything from toys from when I was younger, Magazines (I bet I have over 100 magazines), posters that I dont want to get rid of, way to many stuffed animals, but I feel bad when I get rid of stuffed animals lol, and tons of other stuff. I just know your feeling! My room is crowded with junk too!

[slleipnir]

Catnapper: Do you watch that TV show...er, clean sweep? lol Same sort of thing haha, I need them to come and do this T-T

And I think the junk is pretty much useless to everyone. I made a keep in room, keep but somewhere else, and a throw pile. I have A LOT of garbage. Man. This is horrible. I'm like sweating ! lol. Who knew, eh?

[petslover]

Speaking of cleaning rooms, I think I am going to go clean mine right now and try to part with some things! Wish me luck lol!

GOOOOD LUCK AUDREY!!!

[slleipnir]

I don't know about you, but I CERTAINLY need luck for my room! Good luck for yours!! Hopefully yours is noticably neater then mine

[petslover]

Hopefully yours is noticably neater then mine

I wished! Mine has clutter! Let me quit typing and get my lazy butt to work lol!

[DogLover9501]

I have the exact same problem!! I agree with this...

Originally posted by catnapper
Have you not dusted it off or looked at it in over a year? Donate/sell it.

I try to follow that, or if I find something that I even FORGOT that I had then it's not important LOL

[Randi]

Oh dear, I have the same problem - and so has John; but we're getting a little better lately. It' so much easier if you can give it to people or sell it, isn't it!

I have Lewis, Valentino etc. jeans from years ago I don't fit - I hardly wore them, but hoping I'll loose just that little bit of weight so I can zip them up - yeah right!

We have all kinds of things in the cellar we might need "one of these days" - Oh, it's so hard to get rid of! The sad thing is, that they just don't make that good things anymore, the quality of almost everything was a lot better "back then"!

However, we'll have get rid of most of it soon, as we got a note just recently telling us to empty our cellar before 1st of May, because they're building smaller cellar rooms for us all AND we're loosing our loft room too! The people on the top floor have been allowed to build upwards. I'm SO mad!! It's just not fair!! I want a huge house!!

[CathyBogart]

I was the same way, and eventually I FORCED myself to get rid of anything that wouldn't be useful even again. I went through my room repeatedly until I could bear to part with things that I knew were just going to gather dust. Now I go through it about every two weeks, because I still cling to some of the junk, but I've gotten much better!

[jenfer]

i am same with you. i was trying to clean my room, but end up just "shuffling" things around. i can't throw away my 100+ comic books. no way! but i did donate a bunch of clothes... apparently books are more important to me. lol. another idea is do it quick: quickly throw it in a BLACK garbage bag, so i won't have 2nd thought.

[slleipnir]

If I gave away everything I don't dust then I'd be giving away everything I only dust sometimes when it really annoys me and I feel up to it

[RobiLee]

Ohhh man!!! I need so much help in this area! I was just telling Anna how bad my house was. Plum full of stuff from our 22 year marriage! It is ridiculous!!!! She pointed out this thread to me. I keep everything!!!! My house is becoming overloaded and is starting to look so bad from it all. It is a major point of embarrasment. Why can't I get rid of things? What is my problem. It is staring to make me feel bad and like my life is in complete chaos! I hate it but can't seem to get busy and throw stuff out! When I make an attempt I always wind up just standing around and reminiscing and never get rid of anything. I think I will try those rules that catnapper pointed out. That will still be hard for me.

I NEED HELP!!!!