Topic : 06/21 "Throw It Out!"

Hi Everybody! 

I'm moving--not across town,not across the state line, not even down the block. The owners of the property I watch have been looking at my clutter in the room I live in, and decided that they wanted me out of the house. So although I'm thankful I've not been fired, I've been busted.  

So I'm reluctantly moving to a cabin that's 1/2 the space of my present room, and will also use a storage cabin that's about the same size of the cabin I'll be sleeping in. If that's not frustrating enough, I have to clean up this mess, and prepare for the day that the cabin will be finished. 

So here's my plan to clean up: 

I've already gone through the old magazines, newspapers, and even some high school and college papers that I thought had some personal value. Those are the keepers. I'll also holding onto family picture albums, and the art that I have created over the years. 

Everything that is over five years old, or has not been read, touched, or is in any way not useful, or is still in it's original container, will be given to charity thrift stores, will go to the recycle place in town, will be given to friends who can use it, or will be sold on Ebay. I think green--the garbage and waste landfills are too full of junk, for me to consider throwing anything in the trash (unless it's a broken item). 

After eight years of subscribing to magazines, I've decided to cut my in-flow of magazines, and will save money doing this. I will choose amongst the 22 subscriptions I now have, and plan to pare down to half or greater, once the current subscriptions have expired.  Most magazines are available on the web, anyhow, so I can refer to the ones that I no longer subscribe to via the WWW. 

Note that this is my mode of thinking when I have moved in the past. The last move, from San Francisco to the S. California desert region, was nearly nine years ago. Five years seems to be the time lapse between something "collecting dust" and something that is still useful.  

I'm offering this drastic measure to anyone who needs a little push. Start simple, then get to the back of shelves, the top of the floor, or start destacking the piles from the ceiling. I just did this, and I took time to decide to "toss" or "save." My car is now full of "toss." Most of it is good items that the charity thrift stores can sell. There is a recycle pile in the car too. Newspapers, uncoated magazines, and other papers can be recylced, and sold at the current scrap rate ($1.00 per ton). I won't get rich doing this, but at least I know the landfill isn't getting fuller by me. Some of my things I'll sell on Ebay, such as an old HO train set I played with as a boy. I also have friends who like to read, so I give them magazines I know they will want and enjoy. 

I hope that anyone who goes through their things will consider recycling first, then donating, instead of unceremonious "dumping" in the garbage. 

I'll keep you posted on my progress.  

Best wishes! 

Mohabee 

Can't someone in the county or city help by requiring her to fix the fire hazard??? I know its dramatic but no one should die due to this.  Maybe it would motivate her to get some help???   

Dear Dr Phil, I don't know why but when have cludder in my apartment I feel safer some how.  I feel protected.  Can't invite people over not that i would put i would like the option.  I have a phyical disability that limits how long i can clean.  I have to do a few mins and then have to stop because of the pain.  And once i stop it hard to start again.   Please HELP!!! 

Hi Steph, 

     I lost almost everything as well in a break up after my divorce.  After my ex-husband moved out, I was left with nowhere to go and three kids to take care of.  A man that I knew prayed on my vulnerability and need and offered for us to move into his house, which I did out of desperation.  Three months later, when I found out that he was much different than I had thought, I moved out.  But before I could go back and get the things that were stored under his house, he decided that his revenge for my leaving was to get rid of my things.  I lost so many precious things...every photograph that I had ever had of my life, my family, my children; all of my treasured Christmas decorations, and things that had belonged to my deceased mother.  In hind-sight, I should have taken every last thing when I left, because the law is on his side.  I even lost things that belonged to my children such as a treasured Cabbage Patch doll collection and my youngest daughter's porcelain dolls.  I know that the important thing is that my children and I got out of there and that we are all happy and healthy and safe.  And it did teach me that we can live without a lot of things that we think we "need."  The problem is, I don't think I'll ever get over the guilt of not making the right decision.  I should never have trusted that he would let me come back for my things.  I hope this doesn't cause me to become a pack rat.   

i can relate to every single post on here.  my partner is a hoarder.  when we met, i was appalled to find what he had in his loft (attic, i think you would call it in the usa).  he had spares of spares of spares of just about every possible kitchen equipment item one could want, suitcases of material, suitcases of knitting needles, wools, embroidery stuff.  there was furniture up there also.  there were old magazines, old books, old photographs, the majority of which were mouldy.  but when i got to explore his kitchen cupboards, there were spares of the spare spares!  he had three sets of saucepans, and used one single milk pan for just about everything, frying pans by the halfdozen, and heaven knows how many sets of cutlery and china. 

his bedroom was so jammed with clothes, none of which he wore, that it took three days to clear it out to a workable level. 

his living room entertained enough furniture to suit two rooms, and yet more cupboards JAMMED with towels which he never used.  many of these were in cellophane wrappings.  old electrical equipment was there in profusion, on the grounds that it 'might' come in useful.  batteries were spilled all over the place, because once again one of them might work. 

his garden shed and workshops were even worse! 

at one point, it was all reduced to a reasonable quantity (without depriving him of what he deemed entirely necessary) but five years on, it's growing again. 

sama