I once prevented throwing out a broken electric toothbrush for a year
I threw things out once. Then I needed it.
Now I just never throw it out in case I’ll ever need it.
I like to consider a few questions to help me decide if I should keep, sell, donate, or trash something.
- In what scenarios will this be useful to me?
- How likely are these scenarios to come up?
- If it does come up, will I remember I have this and be able to find it?
- What other options will likely be available?
- If I did get rid of this but realized I need another one, how difficult or expensive will it be to replace it?
- Given how much space it takes and/or how much it will be in the way and the above responses, is it worth keeping? I’ll also consider how much space I have, like if it takes up space in a toolbox where I still have space available, the “keep” option is a lot more likely than if I need to move things around each time I open it just to get it closed again.
- (Once I’ve decided to get rid of it) How much value does it have to others?
- Could anyone I know use it?
- Would anyone I don’t know want it?
I was raised by hoarders. I was the only one who ever did any cleaning. I was the only one in the house who knew how to operate the washing machines and vacuum cleaner at age 10. I made huge efforts sometimes to keep the place clean and organized, which turned into huge dramas as my parents used the new clean space as a reason to fight and be victims, until they would bring more shit in and leave it piled on top of the old shit.
To this day, if I could live in a blank, white box with nothing else at all, it would be heaven.
I get you. I don’t think my parents were hoarders necessary but they had trouble throwing things out that were still good. I guess them growing up in poverty has changed them in a way. Back when I was young my dad used to be looking for jobs a lot and things were tight. I think that may have influenced me as a person.
My mom always used to keep things tidy, even with lots of stuff in the house. Even after my dad passed away. But since her brain infarction she started going downhill.
I try to clean up and at least sort things out and store them together when I get the chance. But due to chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia I am slower with getting things done. But we’ll get there. And one difference, we don’t save trash and newspapers.
What I’m saying is, it’s not as bad as I made it look. And I’m not complaining. I’m glad you are in a different place now. That must’ve been hard on you as a child. Probably in more ways than one.
we don’t save trash and newspapers.
Newspapers are great for cleaning window glass and mirrors without making stripes like cloth often does, though.
