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07.01.20, 17:56 PM General Topics
27 replies
Anyone else cleaning out stuff after being cooped up at home for several months? DH went crazy and made 12 fresh direct bags of giveaway items this weekend (kids old backpacks, 2 of the 4 baseball bats we have, spare bike pumps, clothes, everything we never use). It seems extreme, but he wants to live leaner with less clutter. I view it as stuff we are saving for a future possible need. [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 07.01.20, 05:56 PM Flag
 

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He is right. We don;'t need any of this crap. I did this when we last moved and have not missed a thing. Somehow there's always a bag or baseball bat or bike pump around even after the purge. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:04 PM Flag
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OP - we have 3 bike pumps. He says we need 1. I said what if it breaks. He says we will buy a new one. I say that's a waste of money. He is very transactional, and says that clutter destroys 5,000 dollars of happiness for him each year, and he is fine to spend a few hundred each year buying stuff he needs instead of storing closets full of backup stuff. I see his point, but can't he just deal? He wasnt like this before the lockdown. It seems compulsive. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:09 PM Flag
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Does it feel like clutter? If there's an organized place for the pump you use and the backup pump, that seems reasonable. But if they're just tossed on a garage shelf amid a bunch of other stuff and you can't access them easily when you need to, then it feels burdensome. Maybe there's a middle ground here? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:21 PM Flag
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NP: This sounds like things here. We have so much back up that it keeps me from enjoying what we have. There are people out there who can use your things now, which is less wasteful in the big picture. What percentage of these old things will you really ever use? You seem more compulsive than he does. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:21 PM Flag
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He's right. Try to see it this way : you pay rent/mortgage/utilities to accomodate trash [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:34 PM Flag
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He's right. You have to weigh risk/benefit. How likely is it that a bike pump will break? Not likely. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:38 PM Flag
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I totally agree. And we have kept so many things "just in case" only to forget that we have them, or not remembered where they are when we need them, so that we ended up buying a new thing anyway. My DH is the hoarder of "just in case" items and I am always the advocate for tossing things. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 07:02 PM Flag
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Sounds like my husband and we have the same dynamic. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 09:15 PM Flag
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Why do you have 3 bike pumps? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 11:44 PM Flag
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OP - easy - imagine every trip where you forgot a bike pump. That's how we got the extra 2. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 11:45 PM Flag
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We moved to my in laws in March with 4 suitcases and 4 backpacks, and our computers. And one bag of sports gear. We did need things like bikes, but beyond that, we DO NOT MISS ANY OF OUR CRAP from our co-op. Throw it all out. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:10 PM Flag
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we did the same. rented some bikes, bought some helmets and running shoes. We are heading back to the apartment next week and I can't wait to purge. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 10:01 PM Flag
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We aren't all-in on Marie Kondo, but DH and I adopted a live leaner - but with nicer stuff - approach 10 years ago. Nicer apartment, a bit smaller, but higher end. I got rid of lots of my clothes, shoes and bags, and he did the same. We got rid of old pots and pans and dishes and mugs. And old electronics, HDMI cables, and the like. We kept meaningful items. Everything else we cut by 50% in quantity, and upgraded across the board. We are so much more content at home now. It's like being in a personalized luxury residence. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:27 PM Flag
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so sensible [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 07:59 PM Flag
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I love and appreciate this so much. I aspire to be just like you! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 09:54 PM Flag
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To me, the key was the **upgrade** - everything we got was nicer than what we had before. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 11:28 PM Flag
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There was a recent article on this. About how minimalism doesn't work in a pandemic. For the first time, I find myself buying things when normally I hate accumulation. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 06:58 PM Flag
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I disagree. We have hoarded scarce and critical items (meat in freezer, cleaners, gloves), but literally ditched 15 moving boxes of useless items. One box was just AV cables and extension cords from 1995 to today. We also sent a box of photos to get digitized - came back on CDs. So nice. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 07:39 PM Flag
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I need to do this. What service did you use? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.02.20, 10:51 AM Flag
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I've been combing through duplicates and unused things and am very ready toss nearly everything. Things that were ugly, broken or unloved in February are still ugly, broken and unloved today. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 08:10 PM Flag
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We have 2 rice cookers, 2 vacuum cleaners, 9 rolls of partially used wrapping paper, 6 old winter coats, and 2 step ladders clogging up our entryway closet and shelves. We even have bulbs that fit no fixtures we currently own! I feel sad whenever I open it. I wish we had one nicely stored vacuum, one rice cooker, one new modern step ladder, and 2 stylish coats in the closet. But I cannot muster the will to do it. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 11:32 PM Flag
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My ex kept everything. So much went into storage. He often couldn't find items in the storage we paid dearly for and would just go out and buy another - which eventually went into storage as well when item wasn't needed. I finally cut this hoarding parasite out of my life. It was a stupid way of life. I only buy what I need and know exactly where it is. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 08:35 PM Flag
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Are there places taking donations now in NYC? There is a nearby donation bin but it's been boarded up since the pandemic hit. I don't know if they are concerned about virus being on items or if there's nobody working at the organization now to handle the donation. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 08:43 PM Flag
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https://www.goodwill.org/covid-19-frequently-asked-questions-faq/ [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 09:27 PM Flag
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We paid 225 - 250 per month for 8 years!!! of storage, and gave it all away last year. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 09:28 PM Flag
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No, I'm busy with increased cooking and cleaning loads with everyone at home and we've been out of town most weekends recently. Will get to it eventually as it appears we will be in quarantine off and on for the next year... [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 11:10 PM Flag
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The makings of a hoarder. Take it from a kindred soul, you will never really need those things. And as dh tells me, if you really did need an item, you deserve a new one. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 07.01.20, 11:17 PM Flag
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