Yet another reason to declutter

Thanks for sharing Ivy. That is a very good point. My Great-Uncle passed away about 7 years ago, and me, my sister & BIL, and my Mom spent 14 months of weekends going back and forth to his very tiny row house in the suburbs of philly cleaning it out. Among the treasures, we ended up with 5,000 lbs of scrap metal, boxes my Aunt put up in the attic labeled, junk, just junk don't open, endless publisher clearing house sweepstakes, and checks dating back to 1960. We can look back at it now and laugh at the junk box and other things, but boy we weren't always laughing as the year went on.

My Dad told my Uncle he would die before he would clean out his basement for him. Would you believe my father died one year exactly before my Uncle. Hmmm, I didn't think he was that serious about not cleaning out his junk.

(well woops, I went over the letter count, sorry for posting two)

With current economic conditions, I can certainly understand why people are once more "hoarding". It's the same thing, really. But you can avoid it. Keep what you know for a fact you need, and donate what you know for a fact you do not -- because I guarantee you, if you can log onto the internet, you're a bit better off than someone else, who might be incredibly grateful to get your old clothes or children's toys or even your peanut butter lids.

For the person who didn't understand why people hang on to stuff, particularly slightly older people -- they grew up during the depression, or their parents did so, and you did not waste ANYTHING, at all, period. You couldn't, you didn't dare. Those peanutbutter lids? Yeah, pounded flat and nailed onto the roof of the chicken house because no one could afford shingles. Those jars and jars of buttons? Yeah, used to replace lost buttons, because you couldn't afford to run out and buy buttons. You didn't re-fit and re-furbish clothes for no reason, you did it because if you hadn't, you or your kids would have been naked. And when clothes were no longer capable of reuse, you cut them up and made quilts -- did you really think patchwork quilts were something new? They're the ultimate in recycling.

Later as things eased and people were able to purchase non necessities, they did tend to go overboard a bit, to compensate for the prior "absolutely nothing, and almost enough to eat" years.

This decluttering is what has been on my mind for some time now. I keep too much stuff and am gradually emptying out, throwing away, giving away, etc. My dear husband, on the other hand, is the ultimate keeper-of-all-things. I finally pleaded with him and I think he's beginning to see the light. Our double garage is a disgrace. His office space has a single-foot path into it, receipts from 1998 or older, the back basement is beyond description. These are his places of responsibility. I'm hoping this article will steer him to understand what I have been lovingly saying for quite some time. I think the thing that finally sunk in was when we went to an estate planner. That kind of made it "real" that we weren't going to be around forever (smile).

Love this site. So glad I found it.

Both of my grandparent's recently passed away and let me tell you, I have nightmares thinking of the gigantic job it is going to be to clean out their house. As it is right now, my uncle inhereted the house and he's as much, if not more, a packrat at they were, so for the time being the tradition continues.

I know this is a bit old but i thought i would comment anyway.
Sharon has brought up a very important point. your junk OBSCURES your treasures. When my mom was cleaning out the attic of our childhood home. She basicly got fed up with all the junk she was finding, got tired of looking through box after box of just random junk i know alot of important or sentimental things got thrown out.

My MIL said her mother is a hoarder, she said she thinks it has to do with the way they grew up.. people didn't have as many things back then. You had to keep certain things and find a new use for them. Like people kept old clothes to make blankets out of, not because it was a thoughtful sentimental thing to do, but because it was cold in the winter.

I am 36 years old and I can't understand why old(er) people obsess with keeping everything. Do you think its a generation gap?

If you look at the contemporary and minimalist styles of today. We like things clean and sleek. Compare them to the older styles where things are just so cumbersome.

Maybe that's how they grew up, with alot of stuff and alot knick-nacks. My dad tells me he's uncomfortable when the room feels empty. He says it feels cold.

While reading this post I can't feel that its a generation thing. I don't know many younger people who keep everything. In fact, they tend to throw almost everything away as quickly as possible.

Even with months of decluttering and organizing at my parents house during some downtime between overseas and getting back to real life, I still practially have nightmares about trying to clean out and sell my parents' house when they die...and they're only 61 this year.

We sent _truckloads_ to goodwill just of duplicate books, VHS tapes, and DVDs...not to mention a portion of their 5000 mugs (which they come by honestly as teachers - parents, give your kids' teachers Starbucks (or other) giftcards, not mugs! They've got enough mugs already!!). We had an overflowing sleeping bag of all the clothes that we just threw out as we went through the piles of laundry - including baby socks from the un-matched sock collection (the youngest child was 18 years old at the time and none of us had kids yet).

Ugh...cold shivers...their way of making more space in the house right now is to rent storage.

Another thing to consider is that all your junk OBSCURES your treasures, and you run the risk of your survivors throwing out valuable or sentimental items along with the jar lids.
Sorry for your loss.

Thanks for sharing Ivy. That is a very good point. My Great-Uncle passed away about 7 years ago, and me, my sister & BIL, and my Mom spent 14 months of weekends going back and forth to his very tiny row house in the suburbs of philly cleaning it out. Among the treasures, we ended up with 5,000 lbs of scrap metal, boxes my Aunt put up in the attic labeled, junk, just junk don't open, endless publisher clearing house sweepstakes, and checks dating back to 1960. We can look back at it now and laugh at the junk box and other things, but boy we weren't always laughing as the year went on.

My Dad told my Uncle he would die before he would clean out his basement for him. Would you believe my father died one year exactly before my Uncle. Hmmm, I didn't think he was that serious about not cleaning out his junk.

I’ll toss anything but my peanut butter lids!!! ;)

Alright, grandma, whatever you say. ;)

I'll toss anything but my peanut butter lids!!! ;)

So true! My husband and I took 7 months to clean out my Mom's house when she died!

Sorry Ivy.

Our granny horded buttons. 3 dresser drawers, 2 kitchen drawers and a ton of jars in the linen closet. All buttons. Very sad.

Hope your task is done soon.

Sorry for your loss :(

Some people think that thinking of these things are morbid, but I think that thinking of these things (be it cleaning out your house, making a will, or doing a medical power of attorney) shows your loved ones how much you care about them. You care about them enough to thinkg of the "tough stuff" and make sure to make your passing (whether early or late) as easy as possible.

Thank you for this post.

My Grandmother also was a borderline hoarder. When we cleaned out her home, we found lots of little containers filled with lots of little things. It helps me to think of that when in my mind I think up uses for garbage and scraps and want to save them.

OH BOY...can I relate....my step mom is 85 and still in pretty good health...we have been going thru her "stuff" for the last 6 months......I really have to bit my tongue when she wants to keep 6 red turtlenecks and 6 blue turtlenecks......and T-Shirts that she will NEVER wear again.....but then I say to myself......(I'm talking to myself alot lately) mind your own business and GO HOME and clean out your own closets.....drawers.....etc. I also have quit passing "stuff" on to my daughter without asking her first if it is something she really wants.....my dad has given me tons of stuff (crap)....recently and I just tell him thanks and take it to Salvation Army or Goodwill myself. I've made enough trips there that I could be considered and employee. God Bless, Pam, South Bend