Are you a pack-rat?

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Constance

Master Chef
Joined
Oct 17, 2004
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8,173
Location
Southern Illiniois
I must admit that I am a terrible pack-rat.
Not only do I hoard food, but I save all kinds of things, thinking they will be useful later. We have a nice big basement, which can be a good or a bad thing, as stuff gets carried down there and dropped off in the most convenient spot.
Sometimes, I have even been known to clean out the junk drawer by dumping it in a cardboard box, and sending it downstairs to be sorted out later.
:ermm:

Neither my husband or I are able to do much lifting or going up and down the steps, so it hadn't been cleaned up in several years, and had become a real fire hazard. My cleaning lady has been sweet enough to find an extra day now and then to come in and help me with it.

Here are some of the things we have run across so far:
*a big brown paper bag full of wine corks
*several big brown paper bags full of newspapers (for packing)
*several big brown paper bags full of brown paper bags
*about 20 boxes of jello I bought to make jello shots...6-7 years ago
*a whole bunch of foil packets filled with assorted frontier herbs and spices that are probably 8 years old
*those little styrofoam boxes like you get mushrooms in...many
*empty plastic containers of various sizes and shapes...many
*empty spice containers
*ALL KINDS of jars...I love jars
*lots of plastic stuff
*several pieces of exotic cooking items that I've bought and never used
*all sorts and sizes of empty boxes
*many Christmas gift bags full of used tissue paper
*a big garbage bag full of neon colored plastic Margarita glasses
*another big garbage bag full of complementary foam beer coolers that the local liquor store donated to one of our Margaritaville parties
*deer shed (old antlers)
*huge empty turtle shell
*bags and boxes of Christmas lights. HB hates to mess with them, and buys new ones every year.

I could go on, but you get my point.

Do any of you all have this problem? Do you constantly think how you might recycle things instead of throwing them away?
Have you ever needed a back-hoe to clean out your basement?
 
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a teacher and believe you need to save everything because you never know when you will need it. Besides, with my luck, if I throw it away today, I'll probably need it tomorrow.
 
I have scraps of paper in every drawer but I can't stand clutter so I throw things away quite often.
 
Constance said:
*about 20 boxes of jello I bought to make jello shots...6-7 years ago

Do any of you all have this problem?

There's always room for J-e-l-l-o :LOL:

For me - Partial to shoes and clothes. Some I haven't worn and some still have the tags. I donated and gave away lots over time. I've downsized quite a bit and like to keep my closet(s) organized. Now, I'd like to throw everything out and become a minimalist(?) j/k
 
I have to confess I'm not at all. My DH would be if it weren't for my encouragement. My motto is if it wasn't something given to you of sentimental value or a family heirloom........or if you haven't used it or worn it in 1 year then its time to let it go. Otherwise, your drawers, closets, etc.... will be begging for some breathing room.
 
I toss, husband hoards:LOL: When I get to the point where I cannot possibly stuff another pair of socks in his drawer, or hang another shirt in his closet, I get a garbage bag and chuck stuff..Then I hide the bag in the trunk of my car...If I don't he goes through the garbage and brings the junk back into the house, whining about his blue shirt and his 40 year old socks and looking at me as If I'm jack the ripper:ROFLMAO: I decide after moving my mother-in-law down her and packing her stuff, that I was not saving,rubber bands,paper clips, paper bread covers from the bakery,my kids old cloths to wear instead of turning on the heat, newspapers, 75 packs of dental floss from the dentist, pencil stubs, shoes from 1920. out of date boxes of hats, baby crib sheets someone made, box upon box of cards picked up on sale and never used..nope..The only thing I save are friends, recipes and cookbooks, a girl can never have to many of those:ROFLMAO:

kadesma
 
I've spent most of my life moving every few years .... so pretty much live by the credo: If you haven't used it for two years, call Goodwill (or AmVets, or ...). The hardest thing for women is clothes that are too small, in hopes that some day they'll diet into them. My response: Hey, if you do, you deserve new. Old size 6 clothes sitting in your closet when you're now a size 16 are NOT an inspiration to lose weight, they're a constant reminder of failure and an invitation to depression. I really don't collect a lot of baggage from the past. Move on into your new life.
 
Some how we have too many clothes and toys! My room looks like a swamp made of clothes! You can see no floor! Drives me nuts.

Cameron
 
I am, a little bit. However, after moving every few years into progressively smaller apartments, I was becoming a minimalist. Now, however, I own my own house, and should have lots of space, but for one problem. We have to move my MIL in with us, as she's physically unable to care for herself anymore.

SizzlininIN said:
I have to confess I'm not at all. My DH would be if it weren't for my encouragement. My motto is if it wasn't something given to you of sentimental value or a family heirloom........or if you haven't used it or worn it in 1 year then its time to let it go. Otherwise, your drawers, closets, etc.... will be begging for some breathing room.

That's my MIL in a nutshell. EVERYTHING that her parents touched (they're long gone now) MUST be saved and worshipped. I've been stuffing my house FULL of all their stuff because she is unable to let go of it. My garage is packed so tight you can barely get in it. The garage loft is packed. My outbuilding is almost completely packed. My attic is getting full. My basement is getting full. And there's STILL stuff over at her place that she wants over here.
 
We would like to be, but it is rather impossible as we are living in a minuscule flat, although we have some storage space in his garage but it is on another part of the city, it is not the most convenient place.
Cris is much worse than me when it comes to saving things in our computer files, although our computer has enormous space for memory it keeps getting full with all sorts of silly useless stuff... (shhhh, I cleaned out quite a few things to make space, and he never even notice anything!!)
 
SizzlininIN said:
I have to confess I'm not at all. My DH would be if it weren't for my encouragement. My motto is if it wasn't something given to you of sentimental value or a family heirloom........or if you haven't used it or worn it in 1 year then its time to let it go. Otherwise, your drawers, closets, etc.... will be begging for some breathing room.
A girl after my own heart, I am totally the same way. My granny is a total pack rat, and it made my mom (her daughter) the exact opposite way. I followed in mom's footsteps, and have never been a pack rat. I routinely do a spring cleaning every season :LOL: I think this also comes from having moved a lot in my life, as Claire touched on. Plus I just love the way an organized, uncluttered house looks.
The only thing I save are friends, recipes and cookbooks, a girl can never have to many of those
rofl.gif
Okay, I do totally agree about this one! Good call Kadesma :mrgreen:
 
I am a passionate collector of crystal - glasses, particularly. I have a HUGE cupboard full of glasses (I counted them last time I washed them all, by hand, carefully.... 130 plus... in all conceivable sizes) WHY? And my family aren't interested in using any of them - and I can't bear to throw them away and they just dust gather and need hand washing..... So again, I say, WHY? I've TRIED, honestly I have, to box some of them up and take them to one of our charity shops.. I've got as far as the door. Nope, can't do it!

I am a recovering shoe-holic. I visit London quite often and Liberty's has a Manolo Blahnik shop within the store, with wonderful end of season sales. I have bought MBs in every conceivable colour (only when on sale, though) and style, always thinking 'oh yes, I'll be able to match those sandals with something'... but never do. I hardened my heart a few years ago and took 3 large plastic sacks of shoes to a charity shop (some, I'm ashamed to say still had the tags on!). The shop couldn't believe their luck. Here's his website, but I haven't looked at it for a while.... that way lies madness! http://www.style.com/manolo/home_flash.html

I am getting better about hoarding, and it IS only certain types of thing that I hoard...
 
Yes, I'm a pack rat. When I was in college, we had to put together a "junk box" with things like plastic bottles, small boxes, & other stuff that could be recycled into crafts for kids. Lets just say that I had 4 "junk boxes" & an empty shelf in the hall closet when I got mine all together. Some of the other girls in my class collected stuff for a couple of months before even getting 1 full box. I'm not as bad as I was back then though. I got rid of all my "junk boxes" & try not to save things like that now. I just can't seem to get rid of old clothes. I keep telling myself that I'll need them some day.:rolleyes:
 
Ishbel said:
Mish
Have you never been told it's unkind to feed an addiction?!:LOL:

I bought a pair of Jimmy Choo sandals in the Harrod's sale in the summer! BUT, I am getting better, at least they were a neutral colour with beading, so they can be worn with a number of outfits!:cool:

I feel a 12 "STEP" meeting coming on. :LOL:

aka Mish & Ish go shopping.
 
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