Do you have trouble throwing things away?

Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
I know we have a discussion about getting rid of toys, but do you have trouble throwing away things in general? I find myself having SOME sort of emotional connection to everything and always struggle to get rid of clutter.
Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):
I find it easy to throw things away- it's refreshing!
Woman China , indiglo , Maximusx , Kitten has left the site , squire , richsam , Geogeo , SimpleHedonist , Peaches2000 , Adriana Ravenlust , sexxxkitten , Stark , MissBre
13
Some things I do, some things I don't. It depends!
Taylor , Rossie , Undecided , quinceykay , Sammi , solitudinarian , Zombirella , darthkitt3n , MissCandyland , unfulfilled , ViVix , El-Jaro , - Kira - , michael scofield , PeaceToTheMiddleEast , Mamastoys , Allison.Wilder , Missmarc , SMichelle , treefrog88 , G&L , Breas , pasdechat , chantalgiardina , Gracie , BlooJay , chuckthompson453 , padmeamidala , Stinkytofu10 , Allstars316 , ghent529 , Falsepast , Llahsram , Owl , pixxie87 , breebree , Ms. N , Modern^Spank^Anthem , dv8 , PropertyOfPotter , cryinglightning86 , LoveYouLikeThat , mpfm , pirata , LostBoy988 , authorzero , MissBre , humpday , GONE! , CoffeeCup
50
I really struggle to throw things away, I feel attached to most posessions.
bayosgirl , Melan!e , Eva Schwaltz , Jake'n'bake , macho99 , toxie m , js250 , Lily Night , puppylove , DeliciousSurprise , DustBunny , CindyH , Terri Strickland , little miss kinky , Do emu , Bex1331 , jinxydc , Sinfully , Thomas90 , pirkit , MistressDandelion , asphyxia
22
Are you kidding? I was on that Hoarders TV program!
Other!
powerandintent , darthkitt3n , Allison.Wilder
3
Total votes: 88 (85 voters)
Poll is closed
05/24/2012
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Contributor: indiglo indiglo
I looooove throwing things away! In fact, I've been involved in a big Spring Cleaning this year and have tossed loads of stuff. It's quite liberating, and I love how organized my remaining "stuff" can be!
05/24/2012
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
Wow. I was just thinking about this for the past few days and discussing it with some people.

There are some things that I shall be keeping till after I die (if that is possible) but they are not the "usual" things (a stuffed toy, blanket my first high powered microscope, first plane ticket stub to China way back in 2002 that's about it). I've oodles of family heirlooms, which I cannot wait to give to my neices and nephews when they are old enough because I just don't want them. They really don't hold any value to me other than keeping my family quiet for taking them and stashing them in a box.

I've a rule of thumb, when clean through things, if I've not touched something in six months, I really have to think if I need it. If I convince myself I "need" it. It can stay. When I move, if I've not touched something in two years, I chuck it out no questions asked. I turn off the sentimental portion of my brain and toss.

When you globe trot as much as I have, you learn really fast that material objects are just materials, the memories are what make them special. All I have to say is thank technology for computers, internet, digital photos... soooo much easier to tote around a lap top than dozens of photo albums!!!
05/24/2012
Contributor: Woman China Woman China
Quote:
Originally posted by indiglo
I looooove throwing things away! In fact, I've been involved in a big Spring Cleaning this year and have tossed loads of stuff. It's quite liberating, and I love how organized my remaining "stuff" can be!
LOL!!! And making room for the new bright and shiny things!!!
05/24/2012
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
I don't want to sound like a hoarder or anything, but I do find that I have trouble getting rid of things. For example, I have a mountain of boxes stashed in the closet from online shipments that I can't bring myself to throw away. Granted, I don't ship anything, but other people do! I keep trying to remind myself to post them on CL for free but I haven't done it yet. I also hate to waste food....I had a loaf of homemade bread that was a complete flop that I just didn't want to throw away..finally my husband yelled at me about it so I decided to feed it to the birds. LOL. I don't keep trash or rotten food though...that'd be gross.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
I'm a major pack rat. I don't think I'll ever change either. Its frustrating sometimes but I just can't get rid of most things...
05/24/2012
Contributor: Rossie Rossie
I don't like clutter, so it's easy for me to dump stuff out, especially on the day before garbage collection; I'll be looking in the fridge, pantry and everywhere else to see if there's something I can throw away. The only things I cannot part with are old Chinese romantic novels that I've read in my teenage years, I don't touch them anymore but I don't want to throw them away neither.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Maximusx Maximusx
Everything goes.....I hate clutter
05/24/2012
Contributor: Eva Schwaltz Eva Schwaltz
If I don't think I'll have a use for something, then I'll throw it away.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Kitten has left the site Kitten has left the site
If it's not usable, it's trash, and belongs in the trash can.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Undecided Undecided
Depends on what it is
05/24/2012
Contributor: squire squire
I'm a bit of a minimalist. Aside from books, almost anything is far game when I want to clean.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Jake'n'bake Jake'n'bake
I find it REALLY difficult. My room's awful because of it. ):
05/24/2012
Contributor: richsam richsam
Quote:
Originally posted by Ryuson
I know we have a discussion about getting rid of toys, but do you have trouble throwing away things in general? I find myself having SOME sort of emotional connection to everything and always struggle to get rid of clutter.
i love throwing things away
05/24/2012
Contributor: Geogeo Geogeo
Clutter stresses me out so I throw everyting away. Even my new job can't comprehend how the whole place is a pig pen and my area is pristine.
05/24/2012
Contributor: macho99 macho99
I am a pack rat. Though I tend to purge stuff that are 5 years or older.
05/24/2012
Contributor: SimpleHedonist SimpleHedonist
I used to find it really hard to throw things away...... then in 2005 we lost everything we owned in hurricane Katrina. Now, stuff is just stuff, and I tend to not hold onto things like I used to.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Peaches2000 Peaches2000
Quote:
Originally posted by Ryuson
I know we have a discussion about getting rid of toys, but do you have trouble throwing away things in general? I find myself having SOME sort of emotional connection to everything and always struggle to get rid of clutter.
I love getting ride of things! For me its super freeing and I don't do well with clutter...
05/24/2012
Contributor: puppylove puppylove
I have a really hard time getting rid of stuff, I keep a lot of junk that doesn't get used, so does my partner, we are not anywhere near horders but we've just accumulated a lot of stuff, he's even bad about taking in other peoples stuff they don't want anymore, like we have two lawn mowers and the worlds tinest yard...
05/24/2012
Contributor: powerandintent powerandintent
I used to really struggle throwing things away. Books and stuffed animals, video games, tons of posters from when I worked at a movie theater, cards (pokemon, magic, etc), pictures, costume jewelry, CLOTHING (insane amounts of clothes), shoes, every gift ever given to me. I threw away trash. I definitely knew the difference between usable items and trash, and I donated some things here and there to goodwill when I absolutely knew I'd never need them, but for the most part I kept almost everything.

I did that until two months ago when my house burned down. I lost almost everything I owned. Made me realize the stuff I had in that house wasn't really as important as I was making it out to be. It was awful to lose things like the computer and the family photos, but now I don't have that attachment to things like I used to. Granted, I don't have much to BE attached to, but I don't feel like I need to hang on to anything. Eh, I'm rambling.
05/24/2012
Contributor: powerandintent powerandintent
Quote:
Originally posted by SimpleHedonist
I used to find it really hard to throw things away...... then in 2005 we lost everything we owned in hurricane Katrina. Now, stuff is just stuff, and I tend to not hold onto things like I used to.
That's exactly how I was, and now how I am after my house burned down.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Zombirella Zombirella
It just depends, usually on how much the item cost me. I usually don't have a problem getting rid of things when I get into a cleaning mode. I HATE mess but if you went into my room now you would think the opposite lol. I actually started picking things up Wed. night and threw some things out. It has just become a disaster area since I've been off my feet for two months from my surgery. It's driving me nuts but I just dread getting started good.
05/25/2012
Contributor: MissCandyland MissCandyland
Depends on what the item is.
05/25/2012
Contributor: unfulfilled unfulfilled
I'm pretty much a pack rat, but I do go through my things from time to time. I hand down toys and clothes my kids have outgrown to my great-nephews. I belong to book swaps and booksforsoldiers and give my good friend books that she would like to read as well so that takes care of my books.

I give my husbands older clothes to my nephew and donate mine to Goodwill since noone in my family is my size.
05/25/2012
Contributor: ViVix ViVix
Quote:
Originally posted by Ryuson
I know we have a discussion about getting rid of toys, but do you have trouble throwing away things in general? I find myself having SOME sort of emotional connection to everything and always struggle to get rid of clutter.
Sentimental things like gifts always get me!
05/25/2012
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
I have no problem with practical things. If I use and need it, I keep it. If I haven't used it in forever and it's not donate-able, it gets tossed.

My problem is with things that are supposed to be sentimental. I hate getting cards for occasions. How long do I keep them? When can I get rid of them?

I hate rushing around for boxes when moving, so I tend to keep folded boxes to help with that. I just keep them under the bed or in the back of a closet. "Waste not, want not" right?
05/25/2012
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
I have collections of things that I "hoard." Makeup, shoes, clothes, sex toys, books, etc.. Even if things break or I never use them, I don't want to throw them away. I rationalize keeping them like "maybe I'll use/like it someday" or "maybe it will unbreak" .

I also haven't thrown out one thing of my son's since he was born and he's now three. I have a lot of kid's clothes at my house. And shoes. I've been convinced to throw some socks away a few times.

Random items I'm less hoarder-y about. I still like to keep things, but I'll throw them away if I'm given good reason why I don't need them.

Luckily I keep my collections organized enough that my house isn't stacked to the ceiling and falling on me. Plus makeup is small and hard to get so much of that it would do that. My sex toys take up a lot of space, but that's organized too. So I don't think I qualify for Hoarders just yet even though my husband threatens to call them on me a lot.
05/25/2012
Contributor: michael scofield michael scofield
depends but most things i can throw away some things very few i just cant
05/25/2012
Contributor: PeaceToTheMiddleEast PeaceToTheMiddleEast
It does take me a long time to throw out some things.
05/25/2012
Contributor: Mamastoys Mamastoys
I have to be in the mood to clean out things but when I get in that mood, anything and everything is subject to find the trashcan. I go over board sometimes and throw away things like bills and money ($20.00) which hubby reminds me pretty often!
05/25/2012