Decluttering links

[Whakamole]

Decluttering your life by trimming your possessions is an important part of RE. Want to live on a boat or RV? Move overseas? You don't want to drag everything that's been packed away in boxes for three moves along with you - do you?

Even for young dreamers like myself, it's good to be nimble - AND, if you can prevent the clutter from coming into your life in the first place, you can save a tidy cent.

Plus, think of the extra room you'll have for dryer sheets!

Some good decluttering resources:

Alt.recovery.clutter - USENET group on clutter
Declutter-support, a mailing list over at Smartgroups
The Simple Living Forums has a section on organizing your life

 

[John Galt]

Re: Decluttering linksY

Good advice on de-cluttering your life. As I've said before:
Use it, sell it, or dispose of it. Personally, my divorce was
the best device I found for removal of old unnecessary items

John Galt

 

[wabmester]

Re: Decluttering linksY

I am a pack-rat. I used to feel guilty about that, but I found that over time the stuff I've accumulated has become more valuable. Most of it is considered antique or collectible now, at least by the suckers on eBay.

My clutter is my nest egg.

 

[unclemick]

Re: Decluttering linksY

Two years into ER a tornado took the roof and 24hrs of rain took care of the clutter. We live in a fish camp over water(uninsurable) so hurricane evacuations mean pictures(family), a change of clothes, tax records(yuck), and of course credit cards. Stuff can be replaced. Our clutter wouldn't make Ebay - a cheap garage sale maybe.

 

[haha]

Re: Decluttering linksY

We live in a fish camp over water(uninsurable)

UncleMick,

Were you able to buy liability insurance, in case some one falls off your porch and drowns? I just got my house insurance bill, and I don't want to continue it. My house probably isn't worth what they want me to insure it for, and if it burned they would probably find a way to burn me. Anyway, it isn't going to burn. But I definitely want to be covered as to lawsuits. Could you share your experience?

Mikey

 

[haha]

Re: Decluttering linksY

My clutter is my nest egg.

Every time I get around to cleaning out some junk, I clean all the wrong stuff. Either its a part to fix something that I didn't know was broken until the very next time I use it; or even worse, an antique. About a year ago I finally got rid of my old computer stuff, including a very early Altair 8080 computer. A few weeks later one of my sons called and said he had a buddy collecting early computer memorabilia, and did I have the Altair? I wouldn't even let him tell me what they were worth.

I do still have a totally original 1967 Fender Telecaster, which is getting to be worth something. It's a cream colored one with a maple neck. A few years ago I switched to drums, which I find way more suited to my skillset than guitar ever was. (Better at beating on things than careflly picking at them.) I also have a Ford 8-N tractor, which I hope to get a fair amount for. There are so many energetic people just looking for things to spend their time and money on.

My big soft spot is all my kids' art and science projects, model planes, rockets, etc. Most of of that stuff is still where it was when the guys moved on. Thank heavens I don't have daughters, I'd be stuck with a house full of stuffed animals.

Mikey

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Re: Decluttering linksY

Well, computer magazines from the altair era sell for up to $100 these days. The last time I saw a full working 8800 sell it went for about $800. One with a working graphics board, extra memory and a floppy interface went for 3 grand a few years ago.

I feel your pain...when I moved out here my parents moved into my old house for a few years. When we decided to move them out here, and put the house up for sale, I called a friend a little while later and asked him to go clean out all my old computer stuff from the attic and ebay it, and i'd split it with him.

I had several old S-100 based systems...an Imsai, a Poly-88, and a Sol system. An exidy sorcerer. A DEC Robin (Vt100 with a cp/m card in it), an original two floppy disk IBM PC. Couple of the older game consoles and 68000 based machines like an atari 600 series, 800 series, and a couple of their ST machines. An Amiga. God I cant even remember all the stuff I had packed away. Boatloads of software, all the original manuals, in some cases even the original boxes.

So anyhow, I call up and my dad answers, I'm about to tell him my buddy will be over the next day, when he proudly tells me he spent the entire weekend cleaning out the attic and running all "that old junk" to the dump.

I never told him he tossed about 5-10k worth of stuff out.

 

[unclemick]

Re: Decluttering linksY

Mikey

Yes I have 300k liability insurance and boy was it hard to get - went through an independant agent(who happens to be a neighbor). Getting general public liability without a homeowners policy to make it a rider to is difficult.

 

[haha]

Re: Decluttering linksY

I never told him he tossed about 5-10k worth of stuff out.

Your reward will be in heaven my son.

Fr. Mikey

 

[John Galt]

Hello unclemick and Mikey. The liability insurance issue
is timely as I have discovered that insurance on our Texas condo is expensive or non-obtainable. Not a major deal unless we rented it out for part of the year.
Then of course, we would need liability insurance at
least. So far, we have found no one to write it.

John Galt

 

[unclemick]

John

See my rant under bond fund mysteries. Insurance/politics is a big time battle(largely under reported) according to neighbor's daughter who works for a congressman. Florida, Texas are the big dogs-Louisiana a puppy.

Decluttering should not only include material things but also things that rent space in your mind and consume valuable ER time. I could list a lot of time wasters but a second cup of coffee and moving on to more pleasant subjects sounds better.

 

[haha]

Re: Decluttering linksY

Yes I have 300k liability insurance and boy was it hard to get - went through an independant agent(who happens to be a neighbor). Getting general public liability without a homeowners policy to make it a rider to is difficult.

Unclemick,

Thanks for your info. I tried this but at least here it isn't going to be helpful. So I upped my deductible as high as I could go, and dropped some niceties. I did wind up with a premium about $200 less than before. Still, it is more than last year. I guess all this mold problem has insurers really running scared.

Mikey

 

[BigMoneyJim]

I'm not sure if it was this decluttering talk or a warm day inspiring some recessive need to clean, but I got rid of a bunch of stuff the past couple of days: Clothes I don't wear (most of them!), books, inexpensive gifts I never use, various unwanted knickknacks and a tertiary bookshelf I didn't really want but was using to hold books I didn't need. (Side note: For some reason it really amuses me that all you have to do to get rid of furniture is put it outside with a "free" sign; gone within 6 hours, guaranteed.)

What's funny to me is that when doing this I come accross items that I realize have been annoying me for some time but never did anything about. The bookshelf was one, as it was in front of a window I open and close frequently; the bookshelf was consciously ignored but always annoying. Another was a calligraphy set in a book-shaped box; the box tended to come open so it was always a pain to get any books nearby for fear of spilling the calligraphy set; again an annoyance, and I suddenly realized I don't want to do calligraphy and haven't for over 10 years, and if I really want to it will cost me all of a few bucks to replace the equipment.

However, being a gadget guy I found it incredibly difficult to get rid of some things. I have two car stereos, a car amplifier and a car CD changer. For various reasons I don't expect to use any of them and haven't for 5 years, but I couldn't bing myself to get rid of them thinking if I change cars I might need one or the other. Bad Jim, bad Jim. Maybe next time I'll be strong enough.

I threw away at least 4 computers, and it was soooo hard, even though I have 6 full-sized computers left! (I am using 3 of them currently...you just downloaded my avatar from one through a firewall run by a second.) I may talk myself into trashing one more, but I'll hang onto at least 5 even though I have yet to use more than 4 at once in my most geeky orgies of computing study.

I also threw away 3 printers, including a dot matrix printer I haven't used in 10 years but have been hanging on to in case I run into a situation where I need to print multi-part forms. It's happened before, but that was 10 years ago and I've moved the silly thing 5 times since then. It was hard to let go of, but I did it.

I didn't think I had that much stuff collected, but I now that I've decluttered a bit I have a lot more room!

 

[Traveler]

Something I started doing awhile back was to get rid of two things of equal or greater size whenever I acquire something new. In other words, if I buy a pair of socks (to replace old, hole-ridden ones) I give away two little-worn sweaters or a pair of pants and a scarf, or two knick-knacks. Slowly but surely the total amount and volume of stuff is being pared down.

Perhaps the greatest incentive to de-junk comes from real estate agents who say that an uncluttered house looks bigger and sells faster (and for a higher price, I hope) than one overflowing with furniture, clothes, and all those other things stuffed in the cupboards and closets.

 

[John Galt]

Hello Traveler. I was thinking the other day about
using your system to dejunk our lives. It would work,
obviously. However, my wife and I are both "junkies"
at heart. Now that we have a furnished condo
for "snowbirding", the pressure to clean this place out has eased a bit. Still, a bit less clutter would be nice.

John Galt

 

[Traveler]

Hi John:
The decluttering system really does work if, of course, you stick faithfully to it. The biggest problem in paring down for me and perhaps for others is the "sentimental" stuff. Things I've bought for myself I have no problem getting rid of, but those given to me by my family I have a difficult time parting with. So I've put out the word to my sister and mom, "Please! No more gifts. Save your money!" I do, however, welcome a nice bottle of wine now and then, especially when they can enjoy it with me.

 

[John Galt]

Hello Traveler! Know what you mean about
"sentimental stuff". I have some
very old handmade duck decoys that my grandfather
owned and he and I used starting back in the 50s.
Or an oil painting of his black lab which I acquired
after his death in 1968, or nautical map of Green Bay which is framed and hanging on the wall above my computer. I used it for years
on my boat, "Wigeon" when I lived on Lake Michigan.
That stuff is priceless.

John Galt

 

[Traveler]

Hello again John:
I need to get away from the Mavericks/Kings game for a few minutes. Kings look like they could be un-crowned. Ouch...so far they're getting creamed. Not good from my perch in Sacramento.

One way to "depart" with the sentimental if it starts over-cluttering your life is to pass it onto family and friends. Trouble is that comes with conditions. I gifted my young niece with the spinet piano my parents gave me when I was 8. Condition was that it never be sold but be handed down to other close family members. At least while I'm alive. My niece is taking lessons so hopefully the piano will stay with her for years to come.

Go Kings. Please.

 

[John Galt]

Well Traveler, I must pull for the Mavs, having lived in
Dallas for a few years. Sorry.

My father ended up with my Grandfather's shotgun.
He gave it to my son with the condition that if he got
squeezed and needed to sell my Dad would buy it back.
You guessed it, he was traveling the country on a wing and a prayer, ran short and sold it somewhere in Oregon. Too bad.

John Galt

 

[charlie]

Kings rule!, Mavs drool

Charlie (a sad Mavs fan)

 

[John Galt]

The guy I really admire is Jason Kidd. He played for
the Mavs the whole time I was in Dallas. I am not a
big NBA fan, but I love to watch Kidd. What a player!

John Galt

 

[BUM]

Things I've bought for myself I have no problem getting rid of, but those given to me by my family I have a difficult time parting with.

Same here! Over the weekend we had a yard sale. Four hours later I had $139 but I still have at least half of the stuff!

My mother calls and says "You didnt sell those maple headboards I gave you 15 years ago, did you?

BUM

 

[John Galt]

I regularly wander the house looking for items to sell.
Having "stuff" lying around unused is irksome, to say the
least. It doesn't matter if it's $20 ,or $2,000. If it's
not used it's gone. The exception is sentimental
stuff which I've mentioned previously.

John Galt

 

[Chris Spangler]

Hello John Galt, fancy meeting you here!

I agree with you on the divorce thing.. Ended up with one suitcase of clothes and nothing else following mine.. Well, except the important thing - my golf clubs..

 

[Jane]

I don't like clutter...so I de-clutter often. My bf on the other hand is a pack rat. He probably has 6 computers in various stages and models, a couple of printers/scanners that don't work anymore and who knows how many electronic parts, cables etc. He also has hundreds of cd's! :

Of course suggesting parting with them is equivalent to suggesting him to cut off his right arm. He would NOT part with them. Our den looks like a computer and music store...

Good thing only one of us is a pack rat. I can't imagine how packed the tiny condo will be if both of us are pack rats.

Jane