Do you purge or hoard?
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Anonymous
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I realized about 4 years ago that for me, having less stuff makes it easier to keep the house clean & organized. I am always on the hunt for something to purge out of my life, clothes, paperwork, light bulbs that don't fit any lamps. I get a great sense of satisfaction from filling up a bag of stuff to donate or trash, almost a high & giddy. Less stuff makes me feel better and more in control.
So which do you do, purge or hoard? My mother & MIL are the opposite of me and it causes some friction. What tips/tricks do you have? My son is pretty reasonable for an 8 year-old so there isn't too much issue there but how do you handle kids that see their friends' rooms over-following with stuff? Does everything have a place? I have found adding shelves any where possible helps. How many extras of things do you have, sheets, blankets, pillows? Do you buy in bulk or just enough to get by and if so, for how long? |
Anonymous
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I purge/hoard :o
I purge stuff from it's original location, then hoard it all at a less-convenient place according to the following principles: -til there's enough to call purple heart -til it sells -til I find the XYZ that goes with it -til the next consignment sale -til I figure out what to do with it So although closets, drawers, etc are very clean and tidy, there are little piles of CRAP all over my house which I intend to do SOMETHING with. |
Anonymous
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I purge. And like you this is in contrast to my Mom (who has lived in her house for 30 years) and my ILs (who save EVERYTHING).
With that said, I'm not a neat freak. Everything has a place or I get tired of looking at it and get rid of it. I have Goodwill or DAV do monthly donation pick ups. Usually it's just a bag or two of clothes, toys or random objects. Any really nice clothing or shoes gets handed down to family members (even if this means shipping it). I'm not sure how many extra sheet sets I have, only that they fit in the small hallway linen closet and extra blankets are stored in the large coffee table. If a sheet or pillow becomes ripped or generally worn out, it becomes the dog's blanket (in her kennel) and then I toss the old blanket/pillow. I only buy enough food or paper goods to fit into the pantry (also pretty small). |
Anonymous
| I'm a purger. I save very very little. I do have extra of the stuff we use on a regular basis, but I do not save much over that (other than pictures or a special outfit my kids wore home from the hospital). First, I have no room to store anything in my house (very limited closet space and no basement storage), second, I have hoarding family members and frankly it disgusts me and makes me nervous also (it's a BAD situation). So, seeing the extreme has made me even more of a minimalist. |
Anonymous
My husband hoards, and I purge when he's not around 
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Anonymous
This is me exactly!! |
Anonymous
| I purge, although I do like to BUY extras of stuff I know I will use (my favorite shoes on sale, extra shampoo, etc) AND organizational tools. I love organizing stuff and sometimes purchase different boxes or bags to reorganize stuff as certain "collections" grow or shrink. |
Anonymous
| I hoard. Like you, I feel better when everything is in its place and everything looks tidy. Unfortunately whenever I try to get rid of ANYTHING I have a nagging feeling that I will need it again. My husband is the opposite, he wants to get rid of everything. I am particularly bad with clothes and shoes I don't wear. I finally got rid of about 4 pairs of jeans that would never fit again, then lost a ton of weight and all my pants are too big and now I have to buy new ones, which kills me bc I don't want to spend the money. I also have too many of everything- like 6 sets of sheets for our bed when I really only need 2. The closets are overflowing and there is no storage space for anything. I wish I could be a purger! |
Anonymous
| Purger married to ome too. It's almost a religion for me and I love having less stuff and an organized , calm household. |
Anonymous
I am like this too (purger). DH is better than he used to be but he has hoard-ish tendencies, and I have to really fight his tendency to hold onto things. He will give tgem up but reluctantly. I get such a thrill from purging and creating calm, organized atmosphere in our home. DH has one room (his home office) where he can do his own thing and this probably saves our marriage.
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Anonymous
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OP here. The biggest problem is my own mother. I see her once a week and she is always giving me or my son stuff she knows I don't want it. I have tried every trick in the book not to get stuck with it (like tupperware without tops, lighthouse framed pictures, games with missing pieces) She will then ask my son what I did with it.
She is hooked on QVC and UPs delivers daily. I did set my foot down about that because I don't want her spending the money. I swear she wants the drama that comes from the whole exchange, of course she claims she really just likes to give me things and I should be more appreciative. |
Anonymous
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OP, I am sorry about the dynamic with your mother.
I also have hoarders/compulsive buyers in my family, and it is very frustrating. I am generally a purger, though I do like to buy pantry/toiletry items in bulk to minimize errand running! |
Anonymous
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I'm a purger married to a hoarder. We just moved and it gave me a powerful reason to sort through most of our stuff and donate and throw away. Still moved way more stuff than I would have liked.
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Anonymous
same here |
Anonymous
| What's funny is that both my mom and I are purgers. So, each time we see each other, we kind of each have something (or somethingS plural) to give to the other one, b/c we have purged something out of our own home and "think" that the other one could use it. LOL! It's such a funny adn weird pattern, now that I think of it, b/c I Feel good in letting something go (giving it to her) but then I am given something else, sigh, and have to find a place for it. LOL!!! |