<p>colorado_mom—are you sure it won’t come back to life? I do a lot of shredding of client info, and also seem to generate too much personal paperwork. During big batches, mine often overheats and stops. A few hours, and it is good to go again.</p>
<p>I would check on overstock.com. Could be a good deal there. Or Amazon.com- for used ones. They are listed under the new models.</p>
<p>ColoradoMom – You might check with one of the big office supply stores nearby if you like to do a bunch of shredding at once – in our area a couple of them offer shredding services for a very reasonable fee, and they can handle a whole box of stuff (or more) very quickly. Our local credit union also has two free shred days a year when the shredding truck shows up – you hand them your box(es) they throw them in – box and all – and munch, munch they’re history. I have a great shredder at home, but it is limited to 7 pages at a time, and overheats if I try to do a huge amount. The shredding service worked great when I did a big files clear out and had the equivalent of shredding two file cabinet drawers full of stuff. Way cheaper than burning out and rebuying my home shredder. </p>
<p>My neighbor runs a cpa practice out of her house, and she has a shredding truck come by after tax season each year. Don’t know what that costs, but she has boxes and boxes hauled out.
(I do use the home shredder for the small shred projects, just not the biggies.)</p>
<p>"colorado_mom—are you sure it won’t come back to life? " - Yea. We took apart and found some bent and broken parts. Unfortunately that was after I had already spent a lot of time pulling out wads of paper. </p>
<p>Thanks for the hints!</p>
<p>I think throwing away things that are strongly associated with someone we love, but no longer have with us, makes us feel as if we are not according them respect. Love mother, love the things she loved.</p>
<p>Anyone want an old 45 record of Caruso singing? Does anyone even know who Caruso was anymore? (Or even what a “record” is?) I know she and my father treasured their things, so I want to as well. My H just says, They had their memories, now just focus on yours. But these things are my memories too! It’s hard, particularly when the loss is recent.</p>
<p>The company I work for does not shred our files. Yes, we have shredders in each office and they are used often, but when it comes to our major files, we would spend WEEKS if we attempted to shred them. Instead, we burn our files. The boss lives out in the country and he burns most of their household trash so he has a large fire pit already. I’ve dumped entire tractor-loader loads in before and we just light it all up. Works pretty well…</p>
<p>I have burned papers in my fireplace as well as in my cheapo barbeque- the old fashioned one that needs charcoal. I have also used papers to help fill some very large pots for plants so that I could conserve on the potting soil and also, not burn out the shredder. </p>
<p>Be very careful if you choose to burn on a small scale- the fire can get quickly out of control.</p>
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<p>Shhhh… Please do not tell my DH that you have it! I just tossed a bunch of old records of his.</p>
<p>We successfully burned old papers in the backyard firepit. The trick is to add real fire wood to keep the fire going strong (smores, anyone? :)). However, I found that that route of paper destruction was too much work. Nowadays, I just take the papers to my local credit union’s shredder bin.</p>
<p>I think I posted before about moving EVERYTHING out of the bedroom wing to have new HW floors put in. Maybe I posted on the new home thread.</p>
<p>Anyway, NOW we are making progress! Almost everything is out of DS’s room, he was here briefly for a dentist appointment. He REALLY needs to declutter as I saw what “treasures” he has in some of his drawers (empty milk bottles NEED to be saved???) But so long as he can put it somewhere out of sight I am OK for down.</p>
<p>But YAY for the office! Shredder is also smokin’, AND H found another drawer of VHS tapes which he spent the weekend digitizing. Now they are on our server so I can actually SEE them, AND the box of tapes is gone. I really think that is something for everyone to consider because the tapes degrade (to say nothing of the VHS player!!) There are beginning to be lots of services to take tapes and make DVD’s of them. Worth the cost if you can’t do it yourself I think!</p>
<p>We’ve gotten rid of one bookcase (small) of books, which is a major achievement for us. Several trips to Hope got rid of toys and stuffed animals, it is really making a difference.</p>
<p>Currently the livingroom is 1/2 full of bookcases Still have to get DD’s bedroom out there, but the livingroom furniture is going out with the trash on Wed. We have had that JCPenny’s set since … before we moved to this house 25 years ago. It really is trash and not even ready for Freecycle. </p>
<p>Nothing is going back into the rooms, except things we’d pay to move or store so that gives a great focus on eliminating (except, of course, those precious bottles of S’s) . We are keeping just a bit more as both kids are going to live off campus next year and might need some startup “stuff”. </p>
<p>After this is over, I am going through the kitchen. I think it has been 5 years since I got stuff out of the top shelves and washed them… ick. So much for yearly spring cleaning … always a goal!</p>
<p>esobay - Good Job! </p>
<p>hayden - Per the Caruso record, I’d lean toward keeping it for memory sake. It fits my rule of things that are flat/light are better for saving than things that are large/heavy. Someone that was more craftsy than me might frame it artistically with sheet music. It’s ok to toss it too, if you are ready ;)</p>
<p>Office supply stores around here do shredding for about $.99/pound. There are other options as well, but it is less labor intensive if they do it than YOU doing it and having the machine jam & stop your work. Most of the time, we just tear things up and don’t shred.</p>
<p>re: Caruso record. I’d check around on the 'net to see if it is rare before tossing it. Plenty of things of historical value have wound up lost to history through over-aggressive house-cleaning (g). If, however, it turns out to be a copy, a mass-produced ‘collector’s item’ or commonplace, pitch away.</p>
<p>I thought it was time to bump and see how everyone is doing.</p>
<p>I’m into Month Two of my 12-month plan, and so far I’m on track! This evening I went through one of my two Personal Keepsake sterlites, and I’m proud to say I recycled half of it. Good grief, why did I ever think I needed to save Christmas cards every year? Tomorrow I’ll do the other box with the goal of having one whole empty sterlite at the end. Progress is happening!</p>
<p>It was engrossing, though. Love letters from DH (and others :eek:), birthday cards from D when she was barely old enough to print her name, a packet of letters from my Japanese pen pal in middle school, a ticket stub from an NBA playoff game in 1989, an invite to a “victory party” for a political campaign I volunteered on (turned out to be a “drown your sorrows” party), thank-you cards from teachers I volunteered for, Brownies in my troop, students in my Sunday School classes. Good times, good times.</p>
<p>S1 needs colored pencils for his science lab. He only needs 6, but I feel like sending him the entire collection from my junk drawer. Every year the kids would start school with a brand new box and at the end of the year, my junk drawer inherited these colorful beauties. I am quite sure I have over 100 pencils flying around the drawer. It might feel quite liberating to toss all but 12 of them into the “donations” box. Anyone want to join me today in tackling excess pens and pencils?</p>
<p>I know the goal is to throw out, but … if any of you are heading on tropical vacations to poor countries, school stupplies are always appreciated there. Yes, my kids always went back to school with new colored pencils, crayons, etc, but the ones from the year before were still very usable. Those extra pens and such can just be left behind in a zip lock bag in your hotel room. Chances are the maid will know a kid that would be happy to have them.</p>
<p>^^^ Very true. Also any woman’s shelter will be happy to get baggies of school supplies. When a woman escapes from a bad situation, she often has children with her. Stop off at the grocery and grab some new coloring books too…though I had a bunch my D never used. </p>
<p>Old blankets and sheets can be donated to animal shelters…look in the book for no-kill shelters. These places run on shoe-strings and every little bit helps. </p>
<p>As for used housing supplies – like Corian sinks in good shape! – you can call your local Habitat for Humanity. In some areas they have surplus shops but they really want stuff that you would want in your own home – not battered or broken or 1970’s.</p>
<p>I guess you could say I’m making progress, although sometimes I just feel stuck. We moved about 10 days ago, so the runup to that big day was a frenzy of sorting. Drove many, many vans of donations out to Goodwill, and carted off so much paper recycling it was unbelieveable. I think I spent 5 solid days just sorting through old files and supplies and random kids stuff we kept. It felt good to get those decisions made. But I still have all my craft supplies, and the old and new houses are both utterly chaotic because of the move going in phases.</p>
<p>“Drove many, many vans of donations out to Goodwill, and carted off so much paper recycling it was unbelieveable.” </p>
<p>That’s inspiring, FauxNom. Keep up the good work!</p>
<p>This thread has inspired me as well. Even though I help others organize, I must admit I let my own go begging. General sorting in garage and basement, many bags of trash out, old paint to hazardous waste, donate-able clothes to charity, not so donate-able clothes bagged and ready to take to recycling, giant weight bench and weights that I have been tripping over in the middle of the basement taken to charity and my trunk is full of books ready to be dropped off - boy does all of this feel good! After finishing the basement - next up the office - dum dum dum! :|</p>
<p>That’s awesome, srw!</p>