Years ago H insisted on keeping 7 boxes of super heavy books. We moved 5 times in those years, paying to have
his priceless boxes moved. H had never even opened them during 15 years of marriage and I had little idea what was in them. Finally we needed the storage space and yet he insisted that he needed those boxes. I gave him one calendar year to open them. He never touched them. At the end of his time we opened the boxes to find 15-20 years old defunct medical school books of zero value. He kept a handful and the rest went out. Not everything has been that
easy with his need to keep things sight unseen. He is part of the group who could have things thrown our and never
realize it.
What has really helped him is seeing how my mother and his own mother had a mess to sort through as they aged. My own mother left 5 full storage units. Her valuable tupperware was stored in one. I am not sure where her vast collection of cabbage patch dolls wentâmaybe 80 of themâshe was convinced they were valuableâalong with the beanie babies.
Up in the attic, where they have resided for 20 years, are Hâs college and law school text books. I disposed of my college books before we married and have since dumped my law school tomes (except for Blackâs Law Dictionary). I may sneak up to the attic and move out one book at a time. We have two rubbermaids of childrenâs videos but no VCR anymore. H wonât part with them. I understand that Little Mermaid, Lion King and The Rescuers are fun things to have, but we canât watch them in this format!
I am guilty of holding on to my childrenâs books but I have been sorting through them recently for Dâs job. Every few months she sends me a list of new books she is looking for. and I put aside what I can find.
My aunt, whose affairs I managed, died 4 years ago. I am going to start culling through her paperwork as well. I have already shredded her credit cards and statements and the health insurance statements back to 1986 (when she went on Medicare) but there is still a ton of stuff. I really only need two copies of her DD-214, not the 50 she made me hold on to.
My parents have my college textbooks (I left them because I didnât want them and they never throw out anything.) One Christmas I grabbed one of my old math books and was surprised to find pages of my homework problems. It was cool to see that 30 years later, but after I looked at it that once I threw them out.
I was looking to see if I recorded a recent EWTN program, where a lady who admits she was a hoarder, and how she worked her way out of it and also some of the psychology behind it all. She did find useful places to donate the 5 bins of dental floss, etc. Some of her issue was she would buy in quantity when she didnât need toâŠShe may have written a book.
Hoarders are trying to fill emotional voids, and perhaps feel a lot of security with these perceived to be valuable articles among the trash.
Like some have done, just throw the bulk of it out (and avoid causing a divorce if you can be sly about it) because it just is trash. I read where a family stored some stuff in a paid storage as they went overseas. Paying on it for over 20 years. When they went through it back in the States, they realized they wasted a lot of time paying to store the stuffâŠ
DDâs room-mate was supposed to inherit her grandmotherâs ring. Her aunt put it in with junk in paid storage, and then didnât pay the billing and the storage bin got cleared.
H is a minimalist except when it comes to his work shop and his man cave.
I sent D a picture of the silver plated coffee pot that goes the the 5 piece set my mother insisted I have years ago.
Much to my surprise she wants to see it when she visits. I will store as long as we are in this house but when we
decided to move s
Eight bags from the holiday closet and cabinets - 5 for the rummage sale (tins, easter baskets, unused scented candles, plush pumpkinsâŠ) and 3 bags of trash. Also consolidated all of the (for now) indespensable souvenir cups and mugs. We really need 5 or 6 of them, so that we can take a go-cup somewhere and not care if it makes it back home. We have 40 or 50, at least, all of them with precious memories, according to someone who has been known to rescue things from the trash can. But at least they are all in one place, so it is obvious that we donât need more. Isnât it?
Article repeats much of what weâve discussed over the years here. Sad are the statements on old furniture and oriental carpets and how craftsmanship isnât appreciated these days.
Took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill yesterday. The oh too zealous Goodwill helpers grabbed the box intended for the cat shelter from the back of the car, and Mr. did not notice that until we arrived at the shelter. Oh wellâŠ
For those who have Half Price Books locations near them, they will take ANY book! Old textbooks frequently are sent to other countries where they are still valued. Old childrenâs books are frequently donated to childrenâs hospitals and other organizations. Per their website, they have donated over 1 million books! What they are unable to sell or donate, they appropriately recycle.
@VeryHappy, I inherited part of an estate a couple of years ago. We hired a dumpster and were literally throwing things out during âthe big clean out.â I opened an oriental rug and decided i kind of liked it. It smelled a little funny, so i took it to a rug cleaner. They guy there told me it was worth between 2 and 4 thousand bucks. I would not have paid that, but I do enjoy it.
I found a lady to work with my near-hoarder teen to clean out her bedroom. I know they threw out things that could have been donated and even some of my things DD#1 had borrowed, but it was totally worth it. In four hours, they filled the big trash bin and the recycle bin! Six big loads of laundry off the floor!
The thought of having to help clean and organize that room again was causing me stress and making me angry, which in turned caused DD to shut down. DH doesnât help and DD#2 was losing her desired to be neat. DD#1 enjoyed the organizer and I will have her back periodically to keep DD on track.
@swimcatsmom and others who live with a hoarder. My sibling is married to a man who sounds similar to @swimcatsmom husband. I sometimes get text messages where she is venting. Iâm never sure how to respond. I alternate between a response or I just let it go. Iâd love any suggestions as to what response if any is helpful.
Regarding checks and papers- In our city, some of the banks and the Mayorâs office have a free shred days where the professional commercial shredder companies bring out the big shred trucks. One does a shred day as a fundraiser for a homeless mission or the food bank - a minimum donation per vehicle load. Take a look to see if they have something planned in your area for tax time.
Currently working on checks from the 90s. They have social security numbers printed on them. Still have all 2000s, 80s, 70s, 60s to go. Dang, they wrote checks for every little thing! 40-50 a month! Plus more receipts/transfers to other accounts. These accounts are still in use. All their dental bills and receipts also have ssno on them. Canât believe how freely those were shared in the past.
^^ Iâve seen those events advertised but am not comfortable doing that right now.
how old were they? (I rarely use we checks nowadays)