Advice on Hoarding.

[Tengu]

Im having to get rid of everything except what I can squeeze into my trusty 30 ft container

Books, are surprisingly easy. I just get rid of the tomes I a) Aren't going to read more than once and b) aren't academic.

My things come in categories, collections, for example, comes under Museology.

So do crafts.

 

[Chris]

If you haven’t used it in a year or more and you don’t know you will need to use it in the next 6 months, get rid.

 

[Paul_B]

What is your timescale?

The classic method is to put anything you have not used in X months (commonly 6 months) into storage out of the way. Except for essentials such as FAK.

Then if after 2X time (commonly 12 months) then you get rid.

It is hard to do as there are some stuff that you might get rid of but actually need 10 years later. Ain't that the case?!!!

 

[Tengu]

I wish life was that simple

 

[Macaroon]

I wish life was that simple

It's as simple as you make it, the majority of the time.

 

[Pattree]

It could be that simple.

It sounds as if you’ve already decided to let go of the biggest item - the house. The rest, as far as you choose it to be, is no different.

A dear friend of mine lost her husband a while back and (eventually) threw out about 200 tools - mostly spades, hooks and picks without handles but quite a few complete.

Suddenly she wanted a hook and regretted throwing out all those rusty ones.
She’s just bought herself a light weight Japanese hook and absolutely loves using it. Same thing happened with his old barbecue, the replacement is a fraction of the weight and much easier to use. Nothing like the build quality but it will see my friend out!

If a virtual hug helps, you’ve got it.
Of course there will be odd occasions when you wish you still had “that thingy”!
You are a Bushcrafter. Before now you’ve arrived in camp and thought the same thing. You didn’t go home!

 

[demographic]

I'm ok with most things but tools are a real issue.

 

[Chris]

I'm ok with most things but tools are a real issue.

I find myself thinking that often at work.

 

[hughtrimble]

I'm ok with most things but tools are a real issue.

I find myself thinking that often at work.

Especially the spanners. Too many of them and none suitable for the job at hand.

 

[Tengu]

What about books? (in my case, a pretty simple thing)

 

[Pattree]

When I moved my son from London, the load including his books tested my suspension more than his motorbike and garage stuff.

When did you last read them?
How FUNDAMENTALLY important/dear to you are they?

I have an attachment to my Anne McCaffrey books. They were accumulated at a difficult time, but if I dumped them they could be replaced at need. The associations would still be there in the text rather than the covers. I haven’t cracked most of them apart for 20 years or more. But this is me and you are you so - no pressure from me in any way!

Do what you will and fear nothing!

 

[Paul_B]

I wish life was that simple

I hear that. Never easy to manage but easy to suggest ideas to others.

I was "fortunate" in my partner moving in with me and after expecting our son there was a distinct operation to solve my hoarding problem. Apparently the story, as told by her many years later, involved so much stuff that there was corridors made out of the hoarde in all the rooms. You had to walk through the hoarded items.

It was never that bad it was always the case that my organisation system was based on leaving stuff where it is most convenient to dump them when I got home. Things like spare chair in the living room was where my outdoor clothes and alot of kit was stored. At least we found out there was a chair there after she "put things away"

Unfortunately I cycled to work so the car was in her ability to use so I suspect a lot of my stuff went to the tip or charity stores in the area. Whilst I would never want that I found it diplomatic to not notice such activity except to give compliments on her tidying up and putting things away skills.

PS I since came to suspect strongly that I have ADHD so I suspect my hoarding was slightly part of that or at least exagerrated by it.

 

[slowworm]

What about books? (in my case, a pretty simple thing)

I've got a few books on how to cope with hoarding, they're in a box somewhere, under some more books and loads of other boxes...

On a serious note I wouldn't regard myself as a hoarder but rather someone who doesn't have room to store stuff. But I do often find a use for something I've kept for several years.

I think in general though it is more expensive to buy the space to keep things in than buy replacements.