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Post by dayeanu on Mar 15, 2012 7:13:55 GMT -5
I am intrigued by those who posted on Seashell's thread that they just threw it all away. This is something I've thought about a great deal in this past year.
So as not to further derail Seashell's thread, I started this one.
I have questions.
1.) When you say you threw everything away, does that mean you literally threw everything away except your purse and the clothes on your back, or did you keep some of your stuff?
2.) If you kept some of your stuff, how much/what did you keep? How did you decide what to keep and what to toss?
3.) About how long did it take you to get rid of it? Did you have people helping (family or hired?) And did you have any pressing factors, such as an upcoming move, inspection?
4.) did you ever have to replace any of the stuff you threw away?
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Post by oliveoilmom on Mar 15, 2012 7:20:29 GMT -5
I threw all the junky, broken, or dirty stuff away. I also threw away some good things that I just didn't have the time or energy to clean or put away. I kept everything that we absolutely needed, things that were expensive, and things that I could put away right then. Otherwise, it went in the trash.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2012 7:33:41 GMT -5
deleted for privacy
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Post by dayeanu on Mar 15, 2012 7:44:59 GMT -5
I threw all the junky, broken, or dirty stuff away. I also threw away some good things that I just didn't have the time or energy to clean or put away. I kept everything that we absolutely needed, things that were expensive, and things that I could put away right then. Otherwise, it went in the trash. About how long did it take you to get rid of it? And did you have any pressing factors, such as an upcoming move, inspection, etc? |
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Post by oliveoilmom on Mar 15, 2012 8:08:47 GMT -5
I'm not a hoarder, so I didn't have a whole bunch of stuff, but I did have lots of stuff that was ruined by squalor. I suppose it took me a week to get rid of everything in the house that I was throwing out. That's four bedrooms, three bathrooms, livingroom, diningroom, den, eat in kitchen, laundry room and storage room. So there was a lot of stuff.
My motivation was that I had been depressed for months and had done nothing and the house went to h*** in a handbasket and I forced myself to get up and do something about it, because I knew that doing something would make me feel better.
I hated throwing some things away, and for quite a few of them I would think "I can easily mend this" or "This can be cleaned up quickly" but I made myself toss them anyway. I didn't want things sidetracking me.
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Post by morningglory on Mar 15, 2012 8:22:46 GMT -5
Where did you toss it all? Do you have access to a dumpster? Did you donate any of it?
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Post by seashell on Mar 15, 2012 8:49:00 GMT -5
sorry I couldn't get the quote thing to work right.
Hurricane_J said:
What did get tossed: all kinds of nic-nacs and things that are pretty but did nothing, anything that wasn't used (like working lamps we didn't need, extra tables, etc), and most sentimental objects. My mantra: if I don't actively use this on a daily basis, it goes out.
How did you get rid of the sentimental objects? On the one hand, they are like an albatross around my neck, because of the space they take up; but, on the other hand, I love them because of the memories they hold. I use some of them to decorate my home. They are really special to me. I think that if I got rid of them, I would really regret it.
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Post by oliveoilmom on Mar 15, 2012 8:52:28 GMT -5
I mostly put it out in a big pile by the road, in boxes or bags or stacked up if it was big stuff, then called the city to come get it.
No, I didn't donate any of it. We didn't have any place local to donate things at the time, and I wanted it out of the house ASAP.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2012 9:18:18 GMT -5
How did you get rid of the sentimental objects? OK, I will admit that this was HARD. My mom is an artist and makes the most beautiful ceramics I've ever seen. She paints, she does gorgeous silk flower arrangements. But I'd accumulated 40 years worth of stuff she'd given me.....I tell you, it was overtaking my house. I was enslaved to these objects, dusting them, arranging them, trying to store them....they were beautiful works of art and I love my mom more than I can say. I had a GIGANTIC storage closet downstairs stuffed with her art. I decided that I would only allow myself to keep my very favorites, and they couldn't take up more than 6 feet of shelf space. I selected the pieces I couldn't live without and put them safely aside. Then I went in with a huge garbage bag (donating ceramics doesn't work as they always get broken), and while crying and closing my eyes, I started grabbing stuff and throwing it into the bag (some of the ceramics broke during this process, but I tried to ignore that). The most important thing....I did this on garbage day, right before the curbside pickup came (so I couldn't go back and get it). I would run downstairs, fill up three or four bags while bawling my head off, then run and throw them in the bin. The garbage truck would be there within the hour, and I tried to hide myself away in the house so I wouldn't hear all my moms art smashing to pieces when the can was emptied. This was all horribly traumatic, but I got through it. The result: it was so darn freeing I can't even begin to tell you. Once it was done, I was left with only my mom's most gorgeous, most beautiful, most meaningful pieces. I place them with love in the one glass hutch I own. If she gives me new stuff, I get rid of something else else or very critically evaluate if it's her best work or not. My mom is still living and has noticed less of her stuff around my house, but I have avoided telling her how I tossed everything (it would kill her). If she were to ask, I might lie and say some stuff got broken, as I don't think I have the courage to hurt her. As to the question of "where did you throw your stuff"? I ordered the biggest curbside can my garbage company had, and every week made sure that sucker was packed to the top. I also would pay extra to leave some additional bags at the curb some weeks. Recycling is free in my town, so I got two huge recycling bins and made sure those were stuffed to the top too. After it was all done, I still kept the big bins so I can routinely purge. It's great and convenient. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2012 9:49:47 GMT -5
Forgot to say, during my big purge, I did not donate. That would have taken way too long and I didn't have any energy left to separate things out. I think there were a few big things like couches and tables that I called Salvation Army to come pick up, simply because I had no other way to dispose of them. But it took them a month to get around to it. Now that I have no backlog, donating is easier, but I've found overall it's just too time consuming. Sometimes it's best to do things the easiest way possible (and for me that's the garbage)
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Post by dayeanu on Mar 15, 2012 11:48:48 GMT -5
sorry I couldn't get the quote thing to work right. Hurricane_J said:
What did get tossed: all kinds of nic-nacs and things that are pretty but did nothing, anything that wasn't used (like working lamps we didn't need, extra tables, etc), and most sentimental objects. My mantra: if I don't actively use this on a daily basis, it goes out.How did you get rid of the sentimental objects? On the one hand, they are like an albatross around my neck, because of the space they take up; but, on the other hand, I love them because of the memories they hold. I use some of them to decorate my home. They are really special to me. I think that if I got rid of them, I would really regret it. I think I would do what Hj did, and select THE most meaningful pieces. OR Here's a suggestion I've read repeatedly, that might help you with this situation. Pack the stuff up, label and date the boxes, and stash them out of the way. Go back six months or a year later and see how you feel about the contents then. (I like that idea, because it gets the stuff out of your way, and gives you the chance to see what it's like living without it, without the trauma or finality, until you're ready to let the stuff go.) Another idea I have read is that you take a photo of each item, write a short bit about the memories you attach to it, and then let it go. |
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Post by dayeanu on Mar 15, 2012 12:37:51 GMT -5
I threw all the junky, broken, or dirty stuff away. I also threw away some good things that I just didn't have the time or energy to clean or put away. I kept everything that we absolutely needed, things that were expensive, and things that I could put away right then. Otherwise, it went in the trash. This, right here, is my plan. This will be extreme, in terms of what it means to the condition of my house, but seems like a sane and rational way to do it. It may not be "tossing everything" (I tend to take everything so literally.) But it will be "rapid and ruthless culling." |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2012 14:05:45 GMT -5
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Post by artax on Mar 15, 2012 14:43:41 GMT -5
Hurricane J --
That's amazing, that you were able to toss those ceramics of your mother's. Just wow.
I've got a tremendous problem letting go of anything creative, much less something creative that someone has personally given to me. It's something I seriously need to address, before it gets too late and I'm imprisoned by stacks of paintings, sculptures, photographs and so on.
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Post by maggie on Mar 15, 2012 15:27:35 GMT -5
I also threw away some good things that I just didn't have the time or energy to clean or put away. I find that statement very profound. |
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