Too much stuff?

I was working in the basement yesterday, trying to organize some of my kitchen things. Rick came in from outside and said, "Ya know, if you didn't have so much stuff, maybe you wouldn't have such a problem trying to get it all put away!" Well, yeah. I suppose. To be honest, I could probably stock three kitchens, in addition to my own, with kitchen stuff. My sister and I are talking about having a yard sale this summer and, well, maybe it's time to get rid of some of my "stuff". The thing is.....I use it. No, I don't use it every week. But I use the dehydrator in the summer when I'm drying produce from the garden or drying grapes or apples or mushrooms. I use the canning "stuff" when I make my red onion conserve in the fall or make pickles or zucchini relish. I use the 30-cup percolator when we have family dinners or picnics. I use the pressure cooker, not every week, but probably every other week. I don't use the food grinder every week, but I use it several times a year. And when my sister or my niece needs something, well, there's a good chance they can find it in our basement. They use it, then they bring it back and it gets stored away until the next time. Yes, I have two KA mixers and when I really hit my baking stride sometimes, they're both being used. In my defense, I took a lot of my mother's kitchen things when she passed away, simply because they were hers. And when Rick's father passed and they had the public sale for his mom to go into assisted living, I took some of her things, too. For the same reason.

And cookbooks. Cookbooks are a guilty pleasure for me. I was bringing out some cookbooks from the computer room yesterday to put on top of the hutch in the kitchen, so they're accessible. Rick saw me and shook his head. He was smiling, though, and he admits that he enjoys the results of my kitchen stuff. Our granddaughter is nine years old and we enjoy baking together. She was very put out with me last year when I gave some of my cookbooks to our local library and has warned me not to do that again. It seems that she wants them all. I'm sure that will change as she gets older.   Right now, when she visits, she'll go through a cookbook and suggest recipes that we need to try.

Nail polish. Good grief, but I dearly love nail polish. Rick put a cabinet up on the wall above my bureau in the bedroom so that I'd finally have a place to put my bottles of nail polish, so they're all in one place. I cannot resist a new color of polish. 

OTOH, Rick has his own "too much stuff" collections as well, so he really can't say much. He was an avid Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) fan and has collected a ton of stuff over the years. He has started to get rid of a lot of it now as he's gotten older. 

Am I the only one? Do you have "too much stuff"? It doesn't have to be kitchen stuff. Do you have too many books? Too many magazines? Too many collectibles?

What do you have that's "too much stuff"? Anything?

Winchester said:

What do you have that's "too much stuff"? Anything?

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Pretty much everything! :lol3:

Our basement is full of extra "stuff" as is above our garage.

Every so often I get a box of things together and donate it, but not often enough. I have WAY too many Christmas decorations, but with my allergies it's tough to go through them because of the dust, etc. I always say I'll go through some totes when the weather is nicer and I can do it outside, but I never do. I've got a lot of cookbooks also, as well as kitchen stuff and glassware. I really do just have too much stuff in general. Candles and body washes and lotions are another thing I have a lot of. Alcohol. We have WAY too much alcohol in the house. I'll buy something to try it or to make a certain drink and then we never have it again. My husband has too much computer stuff - parts, cables, cases, monitors, etc.

Books. I have a very large built-in bookcase that's stacked top to bottom and then another smaller bookcase in the bedroom of the ones I'm going to get to next "when I have time" and two more full bookcases upstairs. I do go through them sometimes and take a box to the local library. Paperbacks can get recycled here. I used to sell books I didn't want any more on Amazon but often used books are of so little value, I don't bother much with that any more.

I just gave a large bag of craft supplies to my 9 year old grandson. He loves to draw and make things so that was a good home for a lot of paints and other supplies that were taking up space, and I'll never use again.

I probably have too much of everything too.  It kind of drives DS nuts but he loves me anyway.  My FIL is the type to not throw ANYTHING away.  So DH has almost become the opposite in that he wants to throw everything away and have as little clutter as possible.  I like to think we balance each other out to some extent.     When we got married he didn't even want me to decorate our house.  (That didn't last.  ) He doesn't even like things with prints on them because they look busy.  Especially floral prints; but I've always told him he married a woman, there will be feminine things. 

I'm probably the worst about books and craft supplies.  I do have a lot of kitchen things too. But they are useful!  I like to re-read, we homeschool so our children's books sure aren't going to waste. And whether the kids use them or I do, the craft stuff is going to be used.  I hate repurchasing something because I've tossed it.  DH has had to do that.  When DS was a baby he was trying to get rid of stuff and I finally agreed to let him toss an older computer not realizing I'd not finished backing up photos off it.  DD's baby photos.  That still hurts.  I cried a LOT.  I managed to get a number back because I'd shared them on Facebook.  But I didn't share all of my favorites.  I back up my photos multiple ways now. 

I've got too many heirlooms that I've inherited from my parents. Letters, photos, gloves, Bibles, all sorts of things. I've gone through a lot of it, but find it's very depressing, so doing some more sorting is at the bottom of my to-do list. I've sold many of the books and stamps on eBay because they were easy to mail. Many of the books were first editions and 100 years old, and so were the stamps. I sold enough to make $400 to $500 a month for about a year, so you know how many there were. Dad said to save the old letters because the stamps were more valuable than the letters, but really, most of them say something like "The roads were hot and dusty. Write to me soon." I've also got old furniture, but I am beginning to let go of that.

I've gone through the excess kitchen stuff several times and gotten rid of much of it. I don't do any canning anymore, so gave the pressure canner to my son. I gave my mother's china to my other son. I've got some children's toys, but haven't sold them because of the cost of packaging and mailing. Come to find out that Dark Tower is worth about $100 if I can get it working.

My youngest son has been after me for a while to move into a retirement home, and the last time he did, I told him he would have to come here and help me clear out the house because I couldn't do it all myself. That ended the discussion. 

yep I think we all know my guilty passion=clothes! Books! Cat stuff! I too keep putting off rummage sale until the summer then summer comes and it's like 90 out and too hot and sweaty to lug stuff to the flea market...and I work most weekends although this summer sounds like they will cut back on OT. I have a bedroom full of paperbacks. I bought this place so I could be a functioning hoarder-three bedrooms=2 for stuff one for me. My closets stuffed full with clothes..I have managed to cart off about 10 big black bags of clothes (yard sale/flea market/thrift) so the amount of money spent about $3 each so not too much of a loss. I have been whittling down the books..I gave away about 1/5 of my paperbacks this past year. I still need to continue sorting, pricing. carting off to various places..I had rented a book booth in an antique shop to reasonably have a place for my books but I haven't been able to locate books cheap enough to make a profit=I plan on dissolving the space this summer..Even if I do go to salvation army weekly still spending too much and only making a bit off them. I used to charge a flat rate but then put a 30% off sale and I should drop it to 50% off but I just hesitant to..because then I know that part of my library will come to an end...and well you know it's hard for me to let things go.

I have an office full of stuff from flea markets and moving that I just need to purge..so no I think many of us have started hobbies and just don't have enough time..now that Facebook is popular I spend way too much time on facebook. so between the 2 rooms of stuff I need to purge and kitchen gadgets...I have Christmas stuff I need to send on to another home-I don't put up a tree anymore. I just don't have the room anymore to move furniture or want to deal with pine needles all over the place..not sure what my problem is..just don't want to decorate or paint walls or deal with the interior design..I sold several of my cookbooks too...just odd ball stuff I found..and I don't cook much anymore.

I think we all could use a cleaning house fairie. And I still have boxes from moving I just shoved under my desk rather than go through it...this weekend I priced two boxes of books to someday get to the shop. Slow going. Not sure what my problem is..I go through spurts..I will do a ton of stuff then slack off for weeks..

Faerie?  Faerie???  Good Lord - I need an army of house-cleaning Balrogs !

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I have too many things also... Christmas is my guilty pleasure. It is amazing how my tastes have changed over the years.. from the 'cutesy' stuff to more simple things.. yet, I find it really hard to part with any of it. I even have my childhood ornaments for the tree.. and I do not put a tree up anymore..

I have too many things in the kitchen. I used to cook a lot. Now I do not. It is just me, so I cook very rarely. I have tons of pans, roasting pans, pots, bowels, glasses, and more glasses, and dishes!! OMG!!! 

When my dad and I moved in together, it was hard to decide what to keep and what to let go.. I combined a ton of stuff.. and then I have my moms china--which I absolutely hate.. and her silverware, which I never use; and a set of my moms dishes which I dearly love, but never use. I also have my dishes, and some Corelle for everyday... too much stuff. It does not help that I have a lot of cabinet space in here.. and a store room.. 

I hate to throw things away.. the memories come flooding back.. I have an old Corningware Casserole which my aunt gave to me for my first apartment. I still have it, never use it, but it is there...and old as the hills....but the memories are there..

I need to purge.. I mean, after I am gone, who is going to want these things.. Only I have these memories.. yet, it is so hard to do...

Do I donate them? Do I give them away to the church flea market? Salvation Army? or do I try to find out where to sell them on line.. do I want to sell them on line???   having a yard sale is out of the question.. I live in an apartment building. 

Where on the internet do I sell?? and do I want to do that?? 

it is maddening.. but it has to be done.. I thought I was going to do a bit of purging this winter, but Artie took a lot of my time.. there are always excuses.. because these things consist of really dear memories.. and memories are reminders of loved ones. When we see them, we remember our loved ones... that is why they are so hard do get rid of.........

The only thing I still collect are DVDs. I love my DVD collection & frequently add to it.

I still have a library (hardcover only), but now I only read Kindle books.

Before I retired I had closets full of designer clothes, shoes & bags. Gave everything to the Vietnam Vets Association. I found them to be the easiest because an automated message tells you when they will come & you put all the stuff in bags or boxes & they take it away.

BTW, the VVA will take anything & everything.

We have a ton of albums, cd's, books, photos and even magazines (specifically older Martha Stewart mags) stored in the attic. We have nowhere in the house to house them.  If it weren't for the internet we probably wouldn't listen to music at all.  Let alone read a book - big kudos to Kindle!

We also have too many dishes of all kinds.  I used to collect Fiestaware; I've cut back on it but I have like service for 16 at least.  I also have a set of really nice china and now, Tom brought back with him from his parent's old home, 2 sets of dishes he thought I'd like, crystal, small various objects.  It was nice of him to think I'd want his mom's dishes but WE HAVE NO ROOM!  A big corner of my dining room is covered in boxes, Hefty bags and dusty stacks of photos and stuff. 

Artiemom=you can call salvation army and they come and haul away. Boxes. furniture etc. You can try craigslist but honestly I have been disappointed with people. Also facebook has several yard sale groups for your area,. I am in a few in my area..the prices seem high to me and not sure they sell-but you can always post a photo and description n price and ask that they meet you at the grocery store etc. spring is coming and that's the best time to unload things=everyone here has cabin fever! you probably have a st Vincent de paul in your area? That's another thrift store that takes just about anything. Salvation army. Good will. most places have that drop box in the store where you just bring it in and get a receipt if you want to claim it on taxes. I used to do the taxes until they did away with this online program where I could assign a dollar amount to the clothes etc..not sure if that will be coming back-that was through turbo tax. that was the only good thing about turbo tax and recording what I donated. Or just post it on facebook? Always people looking for stuff. at my place some people put stuff by the mailboxes-and usually it disappears by days end.

foxxycat said:

 
Artiemom=you can call salvation army and they come and haul away. Boxes. furniture etc. You can try craigslist but honestly I have been disappointed with people. Also facebook has several yard sale groups for your area,. I am in a few in my area..the prices seem high to me and not sure they sell-but you can always post a photo and description n price and ask that they meet you at the grocery store etc. spring is coming and that's the best time to unload things=everyone here has cabin fever! you probably have a st Vincent de paul in your area? That's another thrift store that takes just about anything. Salvation army. Good will. most places have that drop box in the store where you just bring it in and get a receipt if you want to claim it on taxes. I used to do the taxes until they did away with this online program where I could assign a dollar amount to the clothes etc..not sure if that will be coming back-that was through turbo tax. that was the only good thing about turbo tax and recording what I donated. Or just post it on facebook? Always people looking for stuff. at my place some people put stuff by the mailboxes-and usually it disappears by days end.

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I now am a member on nextdoor.com.  It connects you with people in your immediate--and extended if you choose--neighborhood.  People can list things they want to sell or give away, and it can be easier for pick up/drop off of items because they're nearby.  Our local animal shelter has a thrift shop and that's my first choice for donating things.  

@foxxycat  - It's Deductible is still on-line and will download right into Turbo Tax. This must be what you're talking about. It's still there.

Anything that can be mailed can be sold on eBay. I mentioned this before; the only catch is that you need to compare the cost of packaging and mailing to the value of the item. If it costs more to ship, it's not worth it. Some categories have limits on how much you can charge for shipping, and the more you charge, the less desirable your item is. When I did this, it was a part-time job, two to three days a week.

I just found this interesting article about having too much stuff. There are also links to other articles on what to do with the stuff.

http://www.nextavenue.org/nobody-wants-parents-stuff/