Getting rid of stuff!

[powder smoke]

Sorry but I just do not get that concept. Linda has been going thru things, some of it we have had near 50 years. Her mind set is gotta get rid of this stuff. Glasswear nicknacks
dishes furnishing most is pottery and glassware. So she's got carrying boxes she goes thru them washes everything than back in the boxes to get rid of the stuff. I learned or better said relearned to keep my mouth shut and follow orders. So that is what we've been doing, we are on the third day. Be glad when spring comes. I just wonder when the get rid of it part will start? I told her I'm keeping all my stuff lol. Women????? ps

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

:D :D :D There is no explanation.

 

[JFB]

For the last couple months I have been "Swedish Death Cleaning".

at least once a week I take one pickup load to the Church Thrift store and another to the landfill

While my initial intent was to clear the Wife's belongings, I found it was easier to throw My stuff away than to sort through Hers. years of my work notes, log books, boxes and boxes of calculations and test response data on controling a boil water reactor

some of the items throw away so far was about 700 VHS tapes, I am still hoping someone will want the same amout of DVDs. Around 100 long sleeve shirts to the Church, when it warms up the short sleeves and tee shirts

the upcoming sorting I dread most is jewerly, even if I can distiguish exspensive from costome, what to do with it?

still got two houses full of nicknacks to go, but today I don't feel like even getting up.

 

[WAYNO]

Being married 49 years, we have a lot of stuff. To most folks, our things are meaningless. Just another trinket when the history is lost.

The plan was, when our kids were settled, they'd get much of this stuff. Seems the kids will never be settled, and in their mid-thirties, I don't expect them to have grandkids for us.

So do we keep cleaning around all this stuff and let the kids give it all to the Goodwill when the time comes? Or do we scale down now? I really enjoy having this stuff around me. Much of it came from parents, grandparents, friends, aunts and uncles or other extended family..

I have a fairly big house with a lot of yardwork. I've thought often about a smaller house with less outside work. But then there's not enough room for all the "stuff" we keep talking about.

I have boxes of classroom notes and books from the Army, and from later when I apprenticed into the pipefitting trade. I fully understand they have no value to anyone when I'm gone, and they will go to the landfill, so why can't I part with them now?

What about all my tools? I have tons, and seldom do I use them. It's easier to call a plumber. I've even offered to give them to younger people, and they don't want them!

I truly don't know what to do.





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[Dave P.]

I've thought about this a lot over the last few years. Started after my sister died, she had lots of
"stuff" here at the store. Not really worth anything to anybody other than herself, yet she saved
or wanted it. Makes me sad to just throw it away knowing at one time it was special to her.
I know I've kept plenty of crap over the years for strictly sentimental reasons that will be junk
when I'm gone. I always tell my wife to just have an auction and sell everything for whatever
it brings and put the rest in the trash.
I doubt anybody will want to buy my boxes of mechanical failures, there are some treasures in them.
I've got the attitude indicator that failed in a night IFR coming out of Cleveland Burke Lakefront
over Lake Erie. There's 4 broken crankshaft ends from a couple of RM125 Suzuki mxers.
Some bent valves from the old GTO. Broken hockey skate blade that tore tendons in my ankle
when it broke, a little bag of broken front teeth and an old mouth guard.
The list goes on and on and.... and it's all basically crap to anybody but me.
Dave

 

[Bull Barrel]

Why do wimmenfolk go through stuff and get rid of it? SO THEY CAN BUY MORE STUFF!

 

[Achigan]

My bride and I got started downsizing a year ago. After she helped clean up after her aunt and uncle died suddenly she determined she would not do that to our kids. We keep stuff we use or are “attached” to, but are happy to have a less cluttered home. Her mother gave her most of a laundry basket full of old photos and negatives. Few had names or dates. What a pain. Two months later, we have kept some, trashed more.

 

[Cholo]

My middle daughter moved out for a short while maybe 15 years ago. When she wanted to move back home we took all her "stuff" and put it into storage because there was no room in my small house. She told me someone had told her that she needs to get rid of all this junk. I said it wasn't junk, it was her stuff and it's been a part of who she is. It's her stuff.

I suppose I'm a pack rat. Maybe once every year or two I start chucking stuff. No, I'm not going to listen to all these music cassette tapes again no matter how I try to convince myself. Same with so many VHS tapes, some unused and still in the wrappers. Gone! Why did it take 20 years to make the decision?

So much I just can't get rid of. Deer stands. I'm never climbing 20' up in a tree again. Magazines from the 70's to the 90's. My 1st 20 years of Easyriders, including issue #1, should sell. But maybe I'll want to look at those from the 70's and 80's some day...

 

[Kevin]

Both my wife and I go through the house every so often and take truck loads to the thrift store. This past fall probably 3 truck loads full.

Why? It feels so good to have more space and less clutter. But to each their own I suppose.

 

[Heliman]

This spring I intend to get rid of lots of junk we accumulated over the last 50 years. I hope my wife is onboard with the plan....

 

[mhblaw]

Or, "parents revenge", let the kids sort it out when we are both gone...

 

[bobski]

http://www.webstore.com.

its a free auction site....the way ebay should have been.

 

[blackhawknj]

I thought "parents revenge" is when you leave for college or the military and your mother cleans out your room.
Craigslist, Ebay if you want to earn $$$, the local thrifts-Salvation Army is my preferred one. Yes, I am a Pack Rat-"Oops, might need that some day."

 

[Colonialgirl]

I've been taking Ashley's clothing to the local Salvation Army thrift store; Ashley was 6'2" tall and weighted close to 300# so none of it fits me and I live where a yard sale wouldn't attract many. I also have a bunch of old computer parts and other "technical" such stuff, don't know where it will goe, maybe a local Ham radio club.

 

[blackhawknj]

20 year ago a mother in my neighborhood mentioned several of her son's McDonald/ Flintstones mugs had broke, I gave him TWO sets !
My church has a hat and mitten tree during Advent, all the hats-and one pair of gloves- I contributed were ones I found bicycling around town. We also have a coat drive during Advent, a few years ago I cleaned out one of my closets that way.

 

[coach]

We had a guy from an antique/collectible store come by and go through our stuff. We made about $800 and cleared out some. Many trips to the Salvation Army store. eBay has helped too. I even cut up a bunch of scrap wood I’ve been hanging on to for years. The local landfill & recycle bins have seen a few visits. The clear out continues.

 

[Kevin]

Some people mentioned eBay... the last time I sold something there, a bicycle seat last summer, the commission, and getting my money since they require PayPal, was 25 percent. What a ripoff. I’d rather take it to the thrift store so they can do good with the money.

 

[exavid]

Being an 'army' brat during my younger years we didn't collect much since we knew we'd be moving in another three years. Gypsy life like that didn't encourage much junk, besides Uncle Sam wouldn't ship that much household goods anyway. Seems my life and career was similar. We lived in six different places during the past fifty years. So didn't accumulate much unnecessary goods.

Ditto with my firearms. Seems every time we moved I needed some different types of rifles or pistols. Heavy stuff in Alaska and more lighter carry guns these days. No need for a Winchester 458 or Savage 110L 30-06 now, just a Ruger mini30 and a 10/22. No more S&W model 29, now its a SR40C Ruger, a couple of .22LR target pistols and .308 and 9mm S&W Shield EZs.

Other than guns and some expensive stuff like my tools everything else follows the 'two year' rule. If I haven't used it in the past two years I probably don't need it.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I've got you all beat.

All you have to do is MOVE. - - - I did that just over a year and one half ago. SIL
selected a moving van that was at least one size too small, thus I had to pick the
items that "must" go, and gave away or sold everything else. That was after having
lived in the same house for thirty-two years, AND had left overs from my parents.
Still upset at many things I want that didn't make the trip.
I just prioritized:
1) Guns, ammo, reloading equipment and supplies.
2) Ham radio equipment that would fit (the tower is still standing . . . there)
(missed several things I didn't think about [SIGH]).
3) 2/3rds of the kitchen
4) Large and small tool chest
5) CDs, DVDs, and stereo equipment (bought new speakers here)
6) Bought new furniture, here (wish I had some of what didn't get here, but there
was not near enough room)

The worst part is that I had a place that was 4,200 sq feet (duplex) and moved into
a place that is 1900 feet, and do not have enough room for all that I brought. :shock:

While moving is an effective way to trim down, I do not recommend it, if you
have a choice (too hard on the back, etc. [still recovering]).

 

[MADDOG 521]

We moved out of a house we lived in for 27 years in 2013. I started going through my stuff about mid 2011 and boxed up a bunch of it. We had 4 garage sales in that time period and those sales generated $10,000.00. We had a lot and got rid of most of it and it was much easier to move. It was a lot of work but we made the money instead of Goodwill.

 

[OVERLOADDED]

For the last couple months I have been "Swedish Death Cleaning".

at least once a week I take one pickup load to the Church Thrift store and another to the landfill

While my initial intent was to clear the Wife's belongings, I found it was easier to throw My stuff away than to sort through Hers. years of my work notes, log books, boxes and boxes of calculations and test response data on controling a boil water reactor

some of the items throw away so far was about 700 VHS tapes, I am still hoping someone will want the same amout of DVDs. Around 100 long sleeve shirts to the Church, when it warms up the short sleeves and tee shirts

the upcoming sorting I dread most is jewerly, even if I can distiguish exspensive from costome, what to do with it?

still got two houses full of nicknacks to go, but today I don't feel like even getting up.

The jewelry will look very nice in a large clear glass jar. My wife purchased most of her mother's jewelry at the family auction then displayed it all in several jars. A small light behind it will show A lot of color. Overloadded

 

[blackhawknj]

I'm looking for one of those apartments that are designed for science fiction fans-they're bigger on the inside than on the outside.

 

[AJGUNNER]

What about all my tools? I have tons, and seldom do I use them. It's easier to call a plumber. I've even offered to give them to younger people, and they don't want them!

I truly don't know what to do.

Something my uncle did as he tried to retire, was to pass his tools along to young people he knew would put them to good use. Of course family was first in line, but I pretty much had everything I could use. He would take something different everyday to the job site and just hand it to an apprentice. He was a superintendent on mostly commercial jobs so had all the different trades to pick from. I happened to be on one job site when they were doing a concrete pour. He pulled a large Rubbermaid tote full of all sorts of trowels from his truck and walked it over at break time and let 3 young guys divide it up. I think he probably had about a dozen of every hand & power tool a guy could think of---saws, drills, routers, etc. Check into the apprentice programs and just make a donation that will make a real difference for a guy just getting started.
If all else fails there is always the pawn shops that will give you about 15 cents on the dollar. :lol:

 

[Rook]

I'm not getting rid of anything. I'm gonna take it with me when I go.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

My wife keeps telling me I need to get rid of some of my junk.
I keep telling her I don't have any junk.

 

[gjgalligan]

I told her I'm keeping all my stuff lol. Women????? ps

Thinking of the thread about wife's out living the husband, you may want to think about the burden you will be leaving your wife.

My project for this year is to clean out all the junk in my pole barn.

 

[RSIno1]

My job when I retire this year is listing all our junk on ebay. I've already decided to start at $1 plus postage. No bid = trash can. Our daughter has told us her method to deal with 90% our stuff after we die is arson.

 

[bobski]

I know its a ruger gun related website....but in light of so many old folks clearing out here....maybe we should have a specific for sale forum for 'seniors only junk for sale?'
or at least allow links to gray hairs stuff being cleaned out! :>

 

[nekvermont]

I know its a ruger gun related website....but in light of so many old folks clearing out here....maybe we should have a specific for sale forum for 'seniors only junk for sale?'
or at least allow links to gray hairs stuff being cleaned out! :>

Won't that just lead to a vicious circle of me selling my stuff and then me buying someone else's stuff and not really paring down at all ? Heck, I might even like someone else's stuff better than my own stuff and end up with more stuff than I had in the beginning. :shock: Your Idea could be fun though. :D

 

[blackhawknj]

One man's trash is another man treasure, and I am a firm believer in recycling.