The money wasted on crap....

[MuirWannabe]

I had a 2001 motorcycle that hadn't been ridden since 2010 but stored nicely. Then there was a diamond plate spare gas tank you put in the bed of a pick up truck I removed in 2011 when I bought a camper for my truck. Two riding lawn mowers; one I couldn't get working, one I could. Still to list are an oxy/acetylene torch w/tanks, a sand blaster, 500 cinderblocks (A foundation I planned to build for a shop and never did), A whole lot of back packing and camping gear, 2 kayaks w/trailer, a 2 rail motorcycle trailer, the list goes on and on. All stuff that had use in a younger time, but now just depressing to see it sitting there and likely never to be used by me.
I'm sure my wife and kids will appreciate not having to deal with this stuff if something were to happen to me. Ha!

You might can fetch a decent price for those kayaks. I just tried to purchase one at several stores and online. Not so easy. Apparently TP isn’t the only thing getting snapped up during this pandemic.

 

[jollystomper]

I cannot thing of any "large" item we have not used to our desire. Probably the oldest item is a Peugeot racing bike I bought DW back in the early 90s. I won one from a Megacorp sales contest and DW wanted one just like it, I think we spent $300 at the time. She rode it twice, and never since the mid-80s.

My main items to deal with are computer/electronics stuff that still work but I am no longer using due to getting upgrading. There are times that I cannot even seem to give away (who wants an early 480p 20" flatscreen TV?). I have started setting aside an area of items I will bring down to a local recycler and see what I can get for these things, anything they won't take will be discarded (in an environmentally friendly way, of course).

 

[Nick12]

I've sold a number of things at the local pawn shops. Several hundred dollars I've earned just by selling items I no longer need.

 

[ransil]

You might can fetch a decent price for those kayaks. I just tried to purchase one at several stores and online. Not so easy. Apparently TP isn’t the only thing getting snapped up during this pandemic.

Bicycles are hot to ,I sold 2 a few months ago and got almost what I paid for them. Cl and market place if you can handle the low ballers, no shows, scammers and 1000 stupid questions

 

[athena53]

I'm also pretty good about not buying Stuff and I've been de-cluttering for years, mostly via Free Stuff on Craigslist. I sell on e-Bay only if it seems worth my while after shipping, e-Bay and PayPal fees are taken out. I'm widowed so I don't have anyone saying, "But we might NEED that!".

While bicycling during the summer I'd go past garage sales and look at all the vases, ornamental glassware, "artwork", holiday decorations, etc. and wonder what people spent on them and whether they really added to the quality of their lives. Some did, I'm sure, and now it's time to pass it on to someone else who will enjoy it, but I wonder how much just collected dust.

Interestingly, I found that there were fewer takers for Free Stuff during the COVID shutdowns. Then the local flea market opened up again. I think I know where my stuff is going.

 

[HF63]

I tent or try to purge the house at least once a year, have not used in a year goes to the dumpster or to a friend. The more older I get the least junk I want to have!

 

[pacergal]

We do purging more often lately.
Most of the stuff was used a lot initially, not much any more. We don't find many duplicates.
DH does have a problem with his hobbies--gets into something way too much, then stops. All that junk/stuff then just sits there.
He has been much better this past year and decluttered quite a bit.
Could be because he ran out of space in "his" shed and I would not let him store in "my" shed!
He did do really well when we tackled the closets recently and the garage is next.

 

[Nick12]

I've always been good at avoiding buying useless stuff that just takes up space. The obvious key is to make the right choice at the time. My house is pretty empty. Some visitors think I've just moved in.

Nothing wrong with that. When I FIRE'd I cleaned out, resold, and gave away many of my household things. If you ever see the movie The Equalizer with Denzel Washington it shows how sparse and clean his apartment is. It could pass a military inspection. That's what my house looks like. It's easier to clean, find things among other things.

 

[dixonge]

We've purged multiple times. Once when we downsized, again when we moved overseas, again when we once again moved overseas. Now living in an RV, which limits you by both space and weight. But it still feels like we have a lot of crap! In some ways I miss having everything I own fit into a couple of suitcases. On other days, I think I would really like a shed w/ a complete setup for woodworking and/or electronics tinkering.

As the OP mentioned, our nest egg would be a *lot* larger if we could have diverted a portion of money from junk to investments and done it earlier. But we did still manage to find a way to quit our jobs early and eventually retire 'early' - not as soon as we could have, but way ahead of 99% of our peers. The point still stands though - the world is full of money-wasting crap!

 

[ckelly78z]

I have found myself to be a minimalist, but married for 32 years to a borderline hoarder (I somewhat keep her in check). Her brother is unable to walk into a store without buying one, or multiple high dollar items for his collections, while I can appreciate looking at items, but ultimately put them back on the sales shelf.

 

[Amethyst]

We live in Florida, so no basement to catch all the things that are too good to get rid of, but aren't being used right this minute.

What I've done with our collections and my hobby stuff, is to have dedicated places for each concatenation. The pretty objects are displayed in cabinets with glass doors or on bookshelves, where they can be admired without getting in the way. The hobby stuff has its own, dedicated room, which can get messy without drifting into other rooms.

With that, the house is one-story, open-plan, and we run all around the place with Swiffers and the vacuum.

This does require a good-sized house. Not a mansion, or even a McMansion, but more than some small families want.

Nothing wrong with that. When I FIRE'd I cleaned out, resold, and gave away many of my household things. If you ever see the movie The Equalizer with Denzel Washington it shows how sparse and clean his apartment is. It could pass a military inspection. That's what my house looks like. It's easier to clean, find things among other things.

 

[kgtest]

I tend to get enthused with an idea, start spending money on it, and then never see it through. Here are a few examples:

- I do some hunting, not a lot, but some, and when I got into it around 10 years ago I bought every hunting gadget imaginable. Most are not needed.
- About 20 years ago I got this idea to improve my car at the time (a Saab 900 2.3, non-turbo), which in hindsight is not really improvable. I still have a few parts I bought for it that I never installed, either because I determine they would not work or I just moved onto the next thing. I still have the car, but should have just left it alone.
- I have been a computer geek of sorts, and have boxes and parts of computers as I upgraded over the years, as well as legion of games that are all trash.


These are the most glaring examples

I really need to start selling my old pc gear. Most is still only about 10 years or newer. Exception being a Commodore 64 DW insists I rid but no its sentimental.

Keychain collection. Lol. We are starting to purge firstborn clothes and toys.

2 busted amplifiers.
Random lumber and old doors in the attic
Staring at old shop bulbs I need to recycle
Set of rims and tires cousin insists he will come get
Old helmet I'm sure is no longer DOT certified nor safe
What really scares me is whats in my single uncles yard and my ol mans garage and shed. They have time...a little time. Might be my problem someday.

Yepp lots of junk.

 

[jsncpa]

I had to get my septic tank pumped today, so I'm not really sure how to feel about this thread.

 

[albireo13]

I have been guilty about hobby spending over the year ... telescopes and telescope building .... kayaks and wood kayak building ... audio equipment ...
etc. Wish I had invested that money. Still, I have gotten a lot of enjoyment from it.
Nowadays I want to declutter more so, will sell off some of my sh$t.

Donating to Goodwill a lot and keeping receipts for tax deductions.

 

[foxfirev5]

This thread confirms my position that we have no sheds and must park both of our cars in the garage every night. Simple but effective.

 

[CoolRich59]

I am guilty of this as well. In fact, I have contemplated dumping Amazon Prime just because it makes it waaayy too easy for me to make impulse purchases for stuff I don't really need.

I recently got my renewal notice for next year and am not going to renew Amazon Prime. I know Amazon throws in lots of perks (Prime video, Amzn music, photo storage, etc.) to entice you. But, at the end of the day, I am going to do without the perks and save myself (and my wallet) from making needless purchases.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I just moved to a 1- bedroom apartment, decluttering as I packed. Not enough! I brought way too much stuff.


So far, I have donated 1/2 of my old w*rk clothes. I expect to do a little (12-15 hours/week) in the upcoming couple of years, but not nearly enough to need all those clothes. It was surprisingly painless, especially since once they were hung up, there was no room in the closet. Now there's room.


Next is my collection of sheets, blankets, comforters, and bedspread. And then the books. If I can weed out this stuff, I should be able to manage with the storage in the apartment and the little storage closet in the basement.

 

[JoeWras]

I sometimes hoard home improvement. "improving" things I shouldn't. Projects that are "make work"?

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

Darling hubby says if I can’t take it to Independent Living I don’t need it!

 

[davebarnes]

....50¢ (Canadian) pissed away.

So, that is 13¢ USD, eh?

 

[6miths]

Ah yes if only we had known. I'm chomping at the bit to downsize out of my monster home with its unbelievable monster garage and oversized lot. After bringing up 4 active children there is quite a bit to declutter and it is a work in progress. COVID has slowed us down a bit. Craigslist is helping a bit but honestly sometimes it is easier to just put things at the Magic Curb.

 

[HI Bill]

My policy is that regrets are a waste of time and energy. So if something is not used or loved anymore, I just let it go and never think about it again. The money spent on that stuff is long gone and regrets won't change that.

+1! I love to get rid of excess junk. While I'm sorry I wasted $ on it, I don't dwell on it, and forget, usually, that I even had the items! Now, I try to only buy products that are better than what we already have, and if they're not, I don't buy them.

 

[HI Bill]

Craigslist is helping a bit but honestly sometimes it is easier to just put things at the Magic Curb.

Yes, and it's easier and faster to have a giant roll-off bin delivered to your driveway by your refuse company. I've done this twice for my mom, and threw away something like 40 cubic yards of junk; then I called a charity and had them come for the excess furniture. Easiest way....

 

[Rustic23]

I have a store room, a garage, and a large portion of the house stuffed with crap! However I don’t regret buying most of it. At the time I wanted it, could afford it, and most, say 95% brought me some sort of happiness, some more than others. Now I can relish the fact that my kids will have to earn their inheritance going through it!

 

[bolt]

I'm recalling a family members kid with over 100+ barbies, 100 was the goal. They exceeeded the goal!
Plus a few Kens & G.I. joes, & accompanying whatnot crap that was disposed of little by little over its hyped decade till it was all gone!
Then beanie babies became collectable.. .
Etc...

Additionally watching this country kick its economic currency can*down the road century after century.
In the 1900s, 2000s nothings changed.

Ive read about over 4 "Bank of Americas" after eaches meltdowns.
IIRC Fleet, BayBank, and another "name or two" broke its continued legacy & its capitals directions.
Like Woolworths assets, discharging debt & becoming Footlockers assets.

I recall learning one poignant saying:

'A nation is only as solvent as its currency'.

That saying was well known before a FIAT only world existed well over a 60yrs ago.(USA dropped gold standard in what 30s w/Rosevelt & 71w/Nixon, and an unknown one time before Rosevelt iirc? )
IIRC it was a well known adage after the Roman era.

Good luck & Best wishes......