Clutter Do you have it and where??

[Jugsmalone]

So, here is what I would like to know, are you a clutter bug. I have been living in my present house for nearly 27 years now, I thought I had so much room when we bought this house. Moving from a tiny two bedroom apt. to a House with 3 bedrooms a huge attic and a basement(unfinished and just for storage) I thought wow I have so much room. Well after all these years I find myself out of room and more stuff and junk everywhere that when I do need something that I know I have somewhere I can not find it so, I go and buy it again. I have a real problem tossing things out, after all I might need it again one day, or what if I loose weight and all those cute things I grew out of long ago would again fit me.

I love open and well organized spaces so what happened, I can barely walk around my house. Clutter happened, Collections , and inheriting other peoples stuff happened. It has consumed me and now I am so sick of it all I have to dig myself out, and it is so so hard to do, I find myself starting in one room and what do I do with all the junk I move it into the next room, Oh I do toss away some things but mostly just move it. Now what a difference this room looks so good, I can walk threw it and actually see the floor again, but OHHHHH NO the next room is a mess. so its time to declutter it , so I move everything to the next room but I do toss a few items away. It is an endless circle, it is time to just say sure I may need this again but not now so get rid of it.

The funny thing about this whole process is that, I box up things for donating and sit it out on the walk for pick up, Half of it disappear before the truck, comes to get it. The neighbors seem to be collecting all my clutter. I have had yard sales , flee markets , even taken stuff to the auction, and no one seems to want it. So I put it out for donations and everyone seems to need it...... This is very strange to me, so HOW do YOU avoid being taken over by the clutter bug, any ideas or solutions???

[Screaminfu]

i'll admit i'm a clutter-slut, i like my stuff and never wanna get rid of it, my studio is an obstacle course of old computers, audio gear, consoles, clothes that are heinously out of fashion (global hypercolour ^.^)

i mean let's face it....i "might" wanna play that sega megadrive/genesis again...i still have a stack of games for it....stuff that cost me an assload years ago, now apparently worthless....but to me it means something so i can't throw it out.

old clothes that i can't wear due to whatever reason, i usually wash, iron and then donate to charity. but as far as gadgets are concerned, they are mine and they always will be ^.^

i try and keep my clutter organised to a certain extent so i know where to find bits n pieces...hell i have a closet full from floor to ceiling of CD's and vinyl ^.^

it's my stuff...i'm keeping it

(edited for typos)

(post edit addendum)

i guess my main thing is...i hate a tidy organised atmosphere...my apartment isn't on show to anyone...it's "my" home....so i want it to be lived in, i want it to feel like my space, i want to feel like a live here...not that i stay here to keep it spotlessly clean ^.^

[Acushla]

So, here is what I would like to know, are you a clutter bug.
I love open and well organized spaces so what happened, I can barely walk around my house. Clutter happened, Collections , and inheriting other peoples stuff happened. This is very strange to me, so HOW do YOU avoid being taken over by the clutter bug, any ideas or solutions???

1.) My guess is that 90% of people in developed countries are to one extent or another 'clutterbugs'.
2.) Everyone likes open and well organised spaces (almost nobody can keep them that way for long).
3.) Can only speak for myself, but (admission time) I too am a victim of the 'clutterbug'

In my opinion Clutter like the air we breath will expand to fill any and all available space. Add to this that everyone has said at one time or another they will eliminate the clutter from their lives only to discover that weeds and cockaroach's are easier to eliminate than clutter (note weeds cockaroaches and scorpiions are widely believed to be the creatures most likely to survive a Nuclear conflict). My conclusion, ..... clutter is a fact of modern life.

[Mivat]

I'm a clutterbug. Big one. In my comproom I have something like 5 different comps in various states of disassembly, four storage-crates of old computer-parts, joysticks, flight-yokes, throttle-quadrats, keyboards, mice, scanners and whatnots. What do I do to contain it? Not much, if any. Every time I tidy my desk, it seems to be just as cluttered after 5 minutes.

Same thing at work. I've currently got at least 30 old harddrives on my desk (I'm in charge of testing before they go through degaussing), stacks of papers and other things.

My way of coping with clutter is to strictly enforce the 6-months-rule. In other words: If I haven't used it in 6 months, and can't see myself using it for anything within the next 3 months, I toss it. The only time this ISN'T enforced is when it comes to things I know I will use, and/or have a sentimental value to me (like my teddybear, which I've had for 32 years ). When I moved the last time, I took a look at all the clutter and stuff I had in every nook and cranny of my apartment. Most of the things went straight into the garbage-compactor (including but not limited to all my old kitchen-stuff like plates, knives, forks etc). Everything that was broken went, and such things.

Of course, the downside with the 6-month-rule is that you can bet your butt on the fact that you'll need the thing you threw away pretty much immediately after you've passed the 3-month period after it was thrown away

[Shigy]

I keep all sorts of stuff around. Any flat surface (I've managed [mainly] to not start piling things on the floor anymore though). I have to clean off my computer desk a couple of times a year because it basically becomes unusable. My bedroom has stuff piled on everything. It used to have three seperate foot holes when I was younger that got me both to my cloths draw and my bed.

And thats far to much of a insight into my life for me

[eadaoin]

I go through crafting phases (one month it's cross-stitching, the next learning to knit), so the majority of the clutter in our place is my craft gear and partially finished projects. Stiofain has his one table with his computer gear and electronics, I have all the other tables and the back room. :/

What's helped me most (not so much avoiding clutter, as addressing it) is:

1) Getting some of those plastic bins with the drawers that stack on top of each other.
2) Having someone who knows me pretty well, usually Stiofain, go through the clutter with me. He knows what's important to me, so he's not going to let me toss something I'll regret later, but he's also fairly objective - he's not going to let items I may be attached to, but have no use for, impede movement in our home (it's really a safety thing, especially with my balance more out of whack than usual) or devour us whole (also a health hazard, in it's own right).

It also helped that we used to live within close proximity to a shelter and several drop-ins. They had lists of what they needed and accepted handy, and were just a couple blocks walk away.

[Tastyvixen]

I'm about as far from a clutter bug as one can get. But.... no one else in my house is. They all hold on to their things like their world is coming to an end if they can't keep it.

So, I think I can understand your situation well since I try my best to reach a happy medium in my house. Biggest suggestions I have for you hun are these.

#1 If you find yourself not wanting to let go of things organization is key. Start with that storage basement. First you need more organized storage down there. Shop around and find units that will work for you. Since its just a storage area you don't need to go fancy. If nothing else get industrial shelving units and Rubbermade containers which you will be able to label. There are so many different kinds of great storage you can get for down there that your options are pretty limitless. It may cost you a bit but in the end it will help you SO much with taking care of your clutter that you don't need offhand but really can't part with.

#2 Your cloths you can't fit.... I myself used to have this issue. Then I realized one day that it was getting out of hand. I had clothing that was 4 sizes to small for me. Yes, maybe I MIGHT get back into it some day but if that ever happens will I even want to wear it? It would be SO dated by that point. I would suggest maybe keeping some of the nicer cloths that are 1 size smaller then you are now. You have a good chance of getting back into them some time soon. Then make use of those storage containers in your basement and mothballs and store them away for that day in the future. As for everything else.... unless its a very expensive outfit that you think will still be in style in future years (I have a couple dresses that are pretty timeless) get rid of it. If you do manage to drop the weight it always feels so good to be able to go to a store and try on cloths that used to be small on you. The really nice cloths you do choose to keep can be stored in one of those zippered plastic covered clothing racks in your basement as well.

#3 This is the biggest one that I point out to those in my house when I'm trying to unclutter. "Are you really going to need this any time soon?" If you can't see yourself needing the item in the next year get rid of it. If its over a year chances are your not going to even know were it is by the time you do want it and you will have to buy it again as you said so why are you keeping ahold of it? Its just taking up space that you could use for stuff that you actually do use.

Thats the biggest tips I can give you for cleaning up the clutter. The biggest factor if you really want the stuff is proper storage in that basement of yours for sure. If you don't need an item very often like me with my sewing supplies mark a container for it and store it away all together so you will easily find it when you need it.

The reason I speak about that basement so much is that you said you tend to just shift stuff from one room to another. Start with that basement definitely so that when you work to the upstairs you have a place for that extra clutter to go to thats out of the way and better organized then your actual living space could ever be. Oh, and look into more cabinets upstairs if you don't have many or start by cleaning them out when you do move upstairs. You can't properly organize the clutter if you have no were for it to go but to another table.

[Jugsmalone]

Tasty, you are my hero you said exactly what I began and am now finishing doing, the basement frightened me so it stayed such a mess for so long. Thanks tho to my two very energetic and loving grandchildren, My basement went a complete overhaul this weekend, the storage containers were not a problem I have tons of them all shapes and sizes.

My problem was seeing all my husbands things and reliving memories, but all the old car parts tools and memories went into the trash this weekend. It was very cleansing. I do still have two car doors and a windshield in the basement because they are too heavy for us to get out so they are there for now. I gave away tons of tools to the neighbors, no way I need doubles and triples of tools I have no idea how to use.

So I am well on my way. I am keeping my doll collection, my star trek collection, and a few Items that are very very old that have been passed down. Everything else is on its way out the door tho.

The old computer went into the dumpster but before we even got off the lot someone was pulling it out **this did worry me a bit** I hope they are not hackers and just want parts. So thanks all for helping me feel normal I thought perhaps I was the only person trapped by too many things.

[Tastyvixen]

but all the old car parts tools and memories went into the trash this weekend. It was very cleansing. I do still have two car doors and a windshield in the basement because they are too heavy for us to get out so they are there for now.

I'd call around to salvage places and see if they could haul it away for you. You wouldn't get anything for them but there is a chance they will take them off your hands. Another choice is to ask those neighbors you just gave the tools to too help you get those out. They do kind of owe you for the free tools.

[Jugsmalone]

well the old car stuff will be gone by the end of the month. I got in touch with our old car club and told them if anyone needed the old parts all they had to do was come get them, and the phone rang off the hook, It seems that it is very hard to get these parts so the club members were very pleased. At least I know that someone will get use from them. Yeahhhh