My husband and I are pack rats. We have big bags of tin cans (all washed and ready to use for whatever) stacks of tofu tubs, glass bottles, jars, and broken dishes for concrete outside. Inside, we have boxes of books with covers and pages torn out (to fix them), bags and boxes of old blue jeans (for patching and denim bedspeads, lots of fabric scraps (quilting), rags galore ( baby wipes), heaps of feed sacks, baling twine, plastic and paper grocery bags, yogurt containers, containers of all kinds and shapes. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I do mean just the tip!!

We are very thrifty people. T shirts get worn and used until they are full of holes, then they are diaper rags, then mulch (after being washed and reused until they aren't any good for diaper rags anymore.) Jeans get patched over and over, 90% of our trash is plastic that simply can't be used for anything. Anything paper gets burned. I like being thrifty.

But our house is so hard to keep clean, there is so much stuff!!! I can't stand to throw anything away, and if I do, my husband pulls it out of the trash, 'Can't we still use this?'. I do the same with him. How do you strike a balance between being frugal and an extreme pack rat who never throws anything out? I am always thinking that I might need or want that someday.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 05, 2002

Answers

There's a difference between "we can use this" and "we will use this". I suffer from the same syndrome (Save EVERYTHING) and finally decided that, yes, those coffee cans with the snap on lids are great, but do you need half the cellar full of them? Save only what you know you will use. Especially do this if it's something you get a lot of regularly, like, say, feed bags. You don't need 50 if you use one a week for other things, but you are bringing home two a week to feed the stock. Save ten for a small back up and ditch the other forty. It takes that kind of thinking to declutter, and it's HARD.

Been there, doing that, need the spreader backed up to the door to shovel out this house . . . :(

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 05, 2002.

We've moved 13 times. Sometimes all the boxes got unpacked, sometimes they just got moved in the next move. Just because I couldn't use something at one house (like curtains that didnt't fit) I might be able to use it at the next. I now live in the smallest house we've ever lived in. No basement. At least half of the tractor shed is full of boxes. And the house is still full of stuff. We've been here nearly five years. And I'm never moving again. (From this house I go in a pine box!) I guess it's time to sort and toss. (Oh, that hurts.)

-- Bernie from Northern Ontario (bernadette_kerr@hotmail.com), March 05, 2002.

Send the surplus my way!!!!!! Ok, that's not real practical, but have you thought about passing on the 'extras' to someone in your area? I'd love to run into someone with an extra bag of tin cans - especially washed and ready to use! :) I love it when my sister-in- law shows up with a box of 'junk' for me. For those of us who are just starting out, especially if you don't have kids, it takes a while to get a stock pile of those 'essentials'. My husband has started calling me The Scavenger because it seems like everywhere we go I'm saying 'Are you going to throw that out? Care if I take it?' What can I say, trying to get a big garden going and start raising some critters while on a tight budget has made me fall in love with other folks' gargage. :)

Stace

-- Stacey (stacey@lakesideinternet.com), March 05, 2002.

I am saying this as one recovering alcoholic would talk to another!

What you describe is beyond mere frugality and verging on mental illness. My grandmother started out "just saving useful things" and ended up in a house with narrow trails through the clutter. It's a very hard addiction (for lack of a better term) to break -- same as workaholism -- because it is "virtuous" (as opposed to illegal or unhealthy!)

(I say addiction because this obsession to "collect and save" does two things addictions do: it takes control of your life and blocks out negative emotions by it's very dominance in your daily life; and it keeps people at arms' length, effectively isolating you as it gets worse (people just don't want to deal with your mess and your total obsession with "things" - like snatching up their garbage to take home because "it might come in handy".....You might say "I'm not that bad" but it's really a matter of when....this is a progressive thing and it's encouraging you are noticing it and sensing it can become a problem.)

Anyway, living on a farm now (and also having many moves behind us and having done the "city-to-farm" thing which ISN'T easy and leaves you with ridiculously unuseable items and foo-foos you just can't bear to part with) we bought 3 of the large containers (like they haul on 18-wheeler trucks.) (These are very reasonable here - about $1000 - $1200 delivered.)

These were placed out behind our barn and fitted with shelves. One holds tools, fuels, a lawnmower we just can't part with (yet) even though we have no lawn, 55-gal barrels we got for $5 each (some hold water)....One holds plastic bins full of extra household items such as sheets, blankets, curtains, photo albums, boxes of souvenirs and knick knacks, dishes and Tupperware, appliances, furniture that doesn't fit here but older kids may want it in the next few years, college+ kids' items they have no room for, Christmas decorations, camping stuff. All is inventoried and labeled and we can fit easily down the center aisle! The third holds "supplies" - extra TP, feed, some canned and long-term food: stuff we bought for Y2K plus extras we get when we seen them on sale....living 3 hours from a shopping hub isn't helpful to those with pack rat tendencies!

So, apart from my empathy and sympathy and smidge of envy, here you have my answers in a nutshell: therapy and containers!

-- Elizabeth (hemsley@hdo.net), March 05, 2002.

Rebekah-looks you have lots of company! I control my 'pack rat instincts' 2 ways: first, when it comes to stuff like lamp parts, or plant pots for instance I have boxes in the garage labeled for everything you can imagine-when the box gets full-THATS IT! I usually go thru the box to see if I had kept something really not usable and throw that out instead of discarding my 'new' treasure. (Yes I have cheated and switched to a bigger box!)second, when it comes to furniture, books etc., my house is tiny so if I bring something IN something of equal mass has to go OUT. This is very hard to do but if you arrange to donate your old treasures to a worthy cause it makes it a little easier and keeps your life from getting totally out of control.

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), March 05, 2002.

Some recycling places pay cash for clean glass. You might shop around and see if selling some of the stuff wouldn't work. Glass jars are good to have around, but money works, too, and glass jars are easy to come by.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 05, 2002.

I agree with a lot of what's said here. I used to be a horrible packrat! I kept stuff that I really couldn't use anymore, just for "sentimental" reasons. And most of the stuff really wasn't all that sentimentally important to me!

I do a lot of what Kathleen said ~ here's the room for the stuff, when it's full, that's it. When cleaning out a barn that we had been using for storage, I told myself that whatever I could remember was in there, I could keep. You know, there wasn't all that much that I could remember! LOL! Then I gave myself a time limit of 15 minutes to look through and get other things I might have missed that were actually important. I came out of a 300 square foot, three foot tall stack of junk with five beer boxes of books and one beer box of sentimental stuff ~ I could fit all the stuff in a hall closet! All the other junk is gone and I feel SO MUCH LIGHTER!

I also agree wholeheartedly with keeping just enough of the feed bags, coffee cans and the like that you'll actually use in the near future, then giving away the rest. Around here, the feed sellers pay so much for the empty feed bags if they're still in very good shape ~ if it's the same where you are, maybe that'll help you let loose of them?

Good luck!

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), March 05, 2002.

Clutter's Last Stand by Don Aslett helped me a LOT. I've still got a way to go, but I don't save near as much junk as I used to. It helps to know an extreme pack rat, the kind with paths through the junk. When I saw how I might end up, I started tossing the junk.

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), March 05, 2002.

Junk is something that you keep for 10 years and then throw away one week before you need it!

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), March 05, 2002.

A friend of mine swears that what got her pregnant was getting rid of the baby things, lol.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), March 05, 2002.

I have heaps of stuff stored that I will never use, but who cares? I am really pleased when I hear someone is looking for something that I can give them for free, they are usually quite impressed and give me even more 'useful stuff' in return.

A friend told me of his antique hi-fi project "if only I can find a couple of good '807s'" he moaned. So I gave him a carton to choose a few good ones from. He was amazed and now has no excuse to delay his project any further!

p.s. 807's are rather old styple radio valves/tubes.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), March 05, 2002.

I found out that the bigger the house, the more junk gets kept! We moved from a cute litte ranch in the city to this huge old barn of a farmhouse. The upstairs is cluttered with stuff...just stuff! I've made a vow to throw away five things a day-even if it is just some old papers. It helps alot. One day I made DH sit down and look at his eleven old computer books and he realized that they were all out- dated! To the wood furnace they went! I have to go thorugh a barrel of clothing soon that has been pakced for over ten years. I doubt that ,in this lifetime, I'll ever wear a size 12 again!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), March 05, 2002.

From one clutterbug to another - It's one thing to keep things because they are unique and not easily obtainable (like the hi-fi parts). It's another to keep excess of something that you can get more of almost any day (like tin cans). I have had to force myself to start getting rid of a bunch of junk. I always saved mayo jars to collect grease in. When I sorted through them, I had about 2 dozen! Now I keep no more than 4 on hand, the rest go in recycling. We have moved 6 times in 11 years and I am tired of hauling around all this stuff! I too have a relative that is obsessive about collecting. She had so much stuff in her house that there was just barely room to walk. It took a fall over some of the stuff and a broken ankle to get her to clean it up. I would call around and find a recycler and get rid of as much as possible as soon as possible.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), March 05, 2002.

I had an anxiety attack just reading this thread. Oh no.........no recovery for me thank you very much. Besides, I get the giggles just thinking about some of our city kids trying to figure out what to do with all this junk when we are gone. :>)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.

Hello Rebekah,

Some of the stuff that you have can be donated to daycare centers or elementary schools to be used as crafting material. The plastic grocery bags can be used to make wreaths. The cans, glass and recyclable plastic can be either sold or dropped of at your nearby recycling center.

Useable kids clothing can be sold on Ebay as there is a pretty good market it for it there.

Furniture, fabric, old books and the like can be sold at a yard sale along with any other things that you are trying to get rid of.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 05, 2002.

For a unique support group for clutter bugs and just plain messies (I am both) try www.flylady.com it is an amazing place. Julie in OK

-- Julie (okwilk213@juno.com), March 05, 2002.

My mom's house is the kind with only narrow paths through her stuff. She does not want me and the kids or anyone else to come visit her because there is no place for us to sleep or sit unless she gets rid of something. There is a guest room with a bed and trundle under a mountain of stuff. There are chairs and sofas and even a dining table in there somewhere, but they are buried in stuff.

It is a mental illness. Can you imagine putting piles of 10 year old magazines, strawberry baskets, polyester fabric scraps ahead of seeing your grandkids, friends and family? My dad just barely has a space carved out of the garage for his tools and work bench. He prefers to travel a lot to get out of the house.

Because I grew up with it and hated it, I have to fight this within my self everyday. I am a world class scavenger, but I do not bring things into the house unless I can use it immediately or it matches my decor. I love the bare shaker look even if I never achieve it. Dear spouse, on the other hand saves paper. Every card and letter he's ever received, interesting junk mail, stuff printed off the internet, he saves it all and it gives me a migrane coping with it. I especially hate seeing something on the table that I threw away twice already.

I do have a storage container which gives me room to sort through stuff to getrid of or sell. I am in the smallest house I've ever lived in and there is not even enough room for my family heirloom furniture.

I am like John in that I am thrilled that I have something to give to someone who needs it. That seems the easiest way to part with stuff. That means if you are going to save stuff, you need to save that which is useful to others, in quantities that are not overwhelming to the receiver.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), March 05, 2002.

Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only packrat!!! My big problem is all my crafting stuff that I haven't got around to using yet. AND the kids toys-they're all in very good condition-they get more wear from me picking them up than being played with I think. I just know it's genetic! I come from a long line of packrats but I'm not anywhere as bad as they are or were. I do get in my cleaning moods and just start tossing so I do keep better control than my other relatives. Although I haven't had a chance here lately and boy am I ready to dejunk! I joke that the best thing to do when my parents are gone is to just set fire to the house instead of trying to go through it all. My mom's big thing is buying something and saying it'll be worth money some day and I keep telling her that it might be but we'll never be able to find it to sell and make the money! Or she likes to lay a big guilt trip on us-I can't believe you want to get rid of that! I paid good money for it etc.etc. etc...

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.

I'm one of the people who has to deal with what other packrats have left behind. Lovely folks, and I love the place, but they lived through the depression and threw away nothing. Much of what you all have listed I have seen in storage here, only 30+ years old. Now it's all in a totally unusable state, dusty, dirty, cobwebby, not at all organized plus mouse or rat chewed and a haven for brown recluse spiders (by the hundreds). Mud daubers have got into most of it too so everything has clumps of mud with wasp eggs in it dangling off or firmly attached at multiple points. We have to wear long sleeves, gloves, safety glasses and face masks to work through it. We can only work in some of the outbuildings effectively in winter due to the spiders and risk of spider bites. Much of it we just leave due to the situation we're in with living here, but we have tried to reclaim some (and the house) as usuable buildings again. I guess my point is to maybe think of those who will have to deal with all your stuff some day. What's a treasure hoard now is a dirty buggy firetrap later.

-- me (someone@somewhere.com), March 05, 2002.

I read your post, and felt compelled to reply.

I am a recovering pack rat too.

I was only able to recieve help when I visited a friend's home who lives a very, very simple life. I could not believe how simple and uncluttered her life was and how much free time she had. I then, just a week later, watched a PBS special on making the most of your life. From that program, I learned to do this:

1) Get rid of twenty five things, and do it right now. This will get you started. Throw in the trash any thing that is broken, is of no value to you or anyone else and can not be recycled. This includes the one earing that you lost the mate to two years ago. No sense in giving other people clutter. Give your usuable stuff to some one or some place that can use it.

2)Get rid of anything that you haven't used in one year. You know what that stuff is. I am not talking about sentimental things like your mothers wedding ring or your dad's set of tools. I am talking about the size 26 jeans that you wore in high school.

3)Get rid of anything that you won't use in one year. I know you would love to complete some of these projects or put to use some of the clutter in your home, but come on, will you REALLY do it within one year?

4)Remember that you cannot save the world, or do it all, even though you would like to.

5)Don't buy or bring home anything that won't positively impact your life one year from now. Ask yourself what REAL value it has to you and where you will store it.

6)Prioritize what is important to you and your life. Is it gardening? Dollhouses? Reading? Blacksmithing? Then, may I ask, why are you keeping all that other stuff?

7)Now for some soul searching (these are questions you should ask yourself, and are NOT meant as attacks. I am only asking them in a rhetorical manner, and were issues in my own life) : What is the reason for your 'pack rattishness'? Are you uncertain about the future? Are you missing something inside? Do you have ADD? Do the material possessions that you have bring value or enjoyment to your life? Does the clutter add importance to you and how you view yourself?

8)Ask yourself: Are you tripping over pennies to save dollars? Do you ever wish to have more free time? Do you enjoy spending time in simple or well organized places? Do you ever find yourself confused or frustrated in your own home because of the clutter?

9)Remember that this is a long hard journey. It is often hard to keep focused on getting rid of clutter. All this stuff just didn't show up one day, so don't expect it to go away in one day either. START SMALL. Attack one shelf or one box at a time. Grow your progress from there. Plan your attack, and execute it in small manageable steps.

10)If you find yourself having a hard time deciding what to keep or trash, set it in a pile or put it in a box, then wait one or two days before you get rid of it. This does help.

11)If your house was on fire, and you had the chance to save these possessions or clutter, would you try to save them??????????????

After you clear your life of even half of your clutter, I PROMISE you will feel better, think clearer, work easier, enjoy life better and have more free time.

Remember: THE CLUTTER IN YOUR LIFE IS BRINGING YOU DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.

Clove, I really like that, I think I'll print it out and tack it to the wall for ongoing inspiration.

I think I need to clarify though; I do not have SO much junk that the house is packed with it, with paths going through. That really sounds scary... It's just that I have more than I need and feel guilty when I throw it out!! Wish I could sell it all- I don't think the thrift store would accept some of it. That's the criteria I've begun usingm by the way. When I look at an item, I ask myself, if this was at the thrift stire, would I buy it? How much would I pay for it? If I wouldn't buy it at the thrift store, I get rid of it! Why keep something that I would not want enough to buy at a bargain price?

Now for the question, why do I keep all this stuff. I'm not sure. I've been a packrat ever since I can remeber, but my extremely neat and tidy father threw away most of it when I wasn't around, on an ongoing basis. It bugged me, because he almost always threw away the stuff I liked best. The other thing is that I am always thinking I will need the thing and not have the money to buy it. Knicknacks can go, but waterbed sheets (don't have a waterbed!) and baby clothes? Might need those, they'd be expensive to buy new. Sigh... Thanks all for your suggestions, I'll keep chipping away at it every day and try not to bring home new stuff!!

Oh, I have another trick, for getting rid of clothes. When I'm going to town and need to dress nice, and picking out an outfit, there are always a lot of things I don't even consider wearing. Sometimes the color is not right, or it looks bad on me, or doesn't match anything, etc etc. Now when I look for an outfit, when I find something that I don't want to wear, and haven't ever really worn it much, I pull it out and send it to the thrift store. If I did this on a quiet day I'd think No, might wear it someday. But it's a lot easier if you do it when you're in a hurry.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), March 06, 2002.

My MIL's house is like that, with little pathways thru it. I couldn't stand it for even one day. It's a big house, upstairs and downstairs, and there is only 2 recliners to sit in, and 2 kitchen chairs that are not filled with stuff. They just added on a huge addition, and I saw it finished for the first time Saturday. The new huge, 25 x 25 kitchen is completely full, floors, table, countertops, all about a foot high with stuff. All the new wall to wall cabinets are full, and the rest is on the floor everywhere. There is a complete brand new patio set in the middle of the living room as a base for holding more stuff. There is no way to sit on the brand new sofa. Nor any of the beds in the extra bedrooms. There is no way to clean the house or floors, no way.

Steve and I could live for a year just on the food in the kitchen, piled in cases on the floor and table. Shame is allot of it is no good anymore, stale and icky. Once they brought 3 big garbage bags full of cereal and crackers, just poured into the bags, over to my chickens. They live way out in the country, but they drive into town every day to get more stuff and food, and they eat out most of the time.

My husband tries to be messy like this, and it is a constant battle, but I will not let him. He must clean up his piles of stuff, I can't deal with them. I keep my house open and free from any clutter, and I mop all my wood floors every day with bleach or vinegar. My big pantry is full, I hide all my stuff in there. I am guilty of the tin cans, big plastic containers, coffee cans and used clothes, but not to the point anyone sees them if they come over. There is nothing piled on my floors anywhere, nor under the beds. It's just too hard to keep clean when it's all cluttered, and I like to be outside, not cleaning the house.

We took 2 huge loads off to the dump this last month, and need to do one more Saturday. We've got to clean out the garage once and for all. Steve works construction and brings home everything, but I've had to put a stop to most of that, only really good stuff, NO more drywall! We have piles of expensive tiles, those poured countertops, ductwork, metal framing and even a one piece shower stall with two seats. I don't like to see anything outside of the buildings, I like it to look nice outside too, so it is hard to choose what to keep and what to toss out. I need more buildings to keep the good stuff in! Good luck you all, and toss something today!

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), March 06, 2002.

I used to be a horrible packrat. I HAD to get rid of alot of stuff when I moved from Michigan to Kentucky. Just couldn't bring much. Then, after I had everything packed, I was robbed. I lost almost everything I owned- jewelry, clothes, shoes, the kids' toys, and much more. I was so depressed. I would have to replace so much. Then a strange thing happened, I felt RELIEF! For the first time in my life, I felt unburdened, lighter. Now I still have a tendency to save things, but, twice a year, I go on a de-junking binge. It always makes me feel great when I'm done, and I have so much more room.

-- Gayle Smith (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), March 06, 2002.

Growing up on a farm in central north dakota I learned my pack rat tendencies from my father. Old equipment was taken apart and the good stuff saved. His shop was always cluttered but when something broke down he always seemed to be able to find a part or remake one to keep himself going. We lived and hour from a "big" city and so the self sufficiency was ingrained in me from an early age. My wife is able to keep our house from being overrun now but she makes sure I'm gone before she starts to throw stuff. I'm also guilty of going through the trash and picking out stuff that I know I'll need someday. Though I wouldn't call this a sickness I know how hard it is for someone like us to throw something out that we will need the next day if we could just find it.

-- handy (nmhoofer@paulbunyan.net), March 06, 2002.

O.K. already.............with a tight, anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach..............I WILL look at my mess and start, in one corner someplace, and pitch at least ONE thing today. :>)

Honestly, I really have learned a bunch on this thread. I would have to truthfully say that my packrat behavior didn't start until about ten years ago when I first started becoming anxious about the direction my country seemed to be heading into. Suddenly it became terribly difficult to get rid of anything because I would look at it and wonder if it could be replaced down the road if I needed it.

We are finding that civilization is really creeping in on us here and when we speak of moving after retirement, it is the thought of our possessions that would chain us here. Very thought provoking thread!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), March 06, 2002.

when I lived in Fairbanks some years back (ok 30), my landlords claimed they had packed up 2 suitcases, walked out of their fully furnished home, and left all the clutter to their son. They thought it was a huge joke. Poor son! Seriously though, we have a thrift store and food bank at our church and it is my job to sort through a lot of the stuff that comes in. You wouldn't believe the junk that we have to haul to the dump! Sometimes I go thru an entire huge box of clothes and only find one or two items that anybody would want. I wish people would look at the stuff they bring and really think if anybody else would want it before they drop it off. Funny thing is, if you take it to the dump a lot of people get mad because you are getting rid of good stuff! Some people even come over and go thru our dumpster to see what we are throwing out. They don't want it, they just want to complain. LOL It is really funny if you stop to think about it, they don't want it cluttering up their space but they think I should want it cluttering up mine!

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), March 06, 2002.

I want some advice on what to do when your Hubby is the one whose the packrat and every time you "throw out" he throws a fit?!Just how many 5 gallon buckets does one person need?He has even takin' old mixers because he may one day be able to fix them!LOL- I have a very nice Kitchen-Aid, I don't need any more!If I toss stuff out while he's gone it was always something he just had to have!HELP!!!!!

-- Lisa Reddish (freddish@btconline.net), March 06, 2002.

Scientists haven't discovered it yet but I *know* that there is a pack rat gene. I don't have it, nor does our oldest daughter, but my dear hubby and youngest daughter do. They'll save anything! There must be 12 pair of sneakers taking up valuable real estate in my hubby's half (OK third) of the closet, he only wears 4 pair of them, but, you cannot throw about the other 8 pair because he needs them as lawn/garden sneakers. How many pair of beat up sneakers does one person need? My youngest daughter is even worse than her father, if that's possible, she saves old papers, broken toys, just plain junk. If my clothes don't get worn in a 9 month period--they're out the door to the consignment shop or Catholic Charities, if they're beyond help they go in the garbage-except for jeans I do save so of them for patches. Now, I do save somethings like 5 gallon pails, small tubs like from ice cream because they're handy for barn but my "stock" is neat and tidy. We won't talk about my fabric stash tho...

Stacy in NY-->a place for everything and everything it's place...kinda.

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), March 06, 2002.

Oooooh! Fabric stash...now you are getting personal! heehee!;~)! Yes, I can go into a cleaning frenzy about twice a year where everything has to be scrubbed and polished....but fabric is a work of art!!!! Got lots of fabric "jewels"! It helps to have lots of company like we do around here! I always look at it in a different light when the company is coming. For example....I had two sets of company for the past week and a half. One family is very short and so I made sure that everything from 5 feet on down was scrubbed. Then I realized that the next family was very tall.....so everything above 5 feet had to be scrubbed. Even the top of the door facings and the fridge! SHEW! Now us average height people are clean again for a little while longer. I have a LOT of trouble getting rid of farm supplies! Seems like those take up the most room because you have to keep them in the barn. PVC, paint, lumber, animal cages, waterers, troughs, buckets, etc........My house is clean....but please don't peek in the back of the barn right about now! heeheehe!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), March 06, 2002.

Steve came home from work half day today, so guess what, we loaded up the truck and he went to the dump! Yipee. Now we can walk all the way around the tractor in the garage! Only cost 5 bucks at the dump. They are making us pay for mandatory trash pick-up in all of our county, so now I'll be sure to clean good the day before trash day and get it out there. Not wasting the 11 bucks a month. I'm glad this thread was started, I really want to do that pantry now, and the closets, and Steve's woodworking room, and the fix-it room in the garage, spring is here! I have my outdoor woodstove, so I can burn lots of stuff in there too, like all the mail, that I won't put in the trash.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), March 06, 2002.

hey rebekah.... I know what you mean!iI find my-self getttin more things every-day I either borrow it from my sisters or I find it some-where and I love my stuff dont get me wrong but I have been askin my self do I reallly like you enough to keep you for-ever and it really works I have seen a change in my things there aint so much of it .

-- Jennifer (sparklin_chickaloo77@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

I do believe clutterphilia is the most prevalent mental illness amongst homesteaders. I've got it myself and like a recovering alcoholic it' something you struggle with every day. EBay is making it even worse.

The one strategy I've found that actually helps (somewhat) is that when I'm trying to decide whether to keep something or not I ask myself "do you know right *now* what you're going to use this for and where are you going to keep it until then?" If I can't answer that question then OUT it goes!

Still have too much clutter but it's gets a little better with every passing year. A little is better than not at all!

.......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), April 15, 2002.

I have found through experience that it is easier to get rid of the stuff if I leave it where others can make use of it. That way I don't really feel like I am throwing it away. Our dump has a swap shop where we can leave usable items.

It does help too if you have to move frequently. We've lived in this house for just over 6 years now and the stuff is beginning to pile up.

Being homeschoolers, we have an ever growing library of resource books. Doesn't help that dh is a pastor too and has his own books.

It really is easier to clean the house and much less of a burden daily when there is no clutter. Occaisionaly, I will take a box and go from room to room and collect the stuff that has accumulated. Where the stuff came from is not always clear. I have a couple of boxes in the attic marked "misc. stuff". One day that stuff might even be worth something. Really. Maybe I even go on Antique Roadshow and find out that that "thing" I've kept so long because it looked interesting is really worth hundreds of dollars.

Ha!

-- Lavender, Central Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

Nice to see this thread back again. Was thinking of reviving it myself. I've been dejunking for about a month and a half. I have one more closet to go, BUT I have to clean out the shed first. The closet is full of paint that belongs in the shed, the shed is full of tools that belong in the other shed, the other shed is full of stuff that belongs in the barn... and so it goes. Maybe in another month and a half I'll be done.

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.