Anyone else feel like this?

Yorkie20 if you haven't used them, you don't need them! Your family will not relish the job of getting rid of them when the time comes (and may it be a long time!). When the lockdown is over, make a firm commitment to get rid - you will feel so much better! Some charities will collect if you have a large amount, or you could take a bag at a time to your favourite charity shop. Then you will have the consolation of knowing that the charity will benefit from your generosity. Good luck!

I try not to keep too much,as it's not fair on my family.But I still have too many things that I find it hard to part with.I have more time on my hands at the moment,but I already have a cupboard full of things for a car boot that I was waiting for nice weather to do with my daughter,not happening now of course.No charity shops open,they're going to be inundated when they do,so it's a problem what to do with things at the moment,I don't like boxes of things laying around,so decluttering will have to wait

I keep a special corner in the wardrobe to donate unused/unwanted gifts to local school/club raffles/tombolas. The rest goes to charity shops. I put the hangers a certain way in the wardrobe and if that hanger hadn’t been turned to the ‘worn’ way after a year that garment goes to charity too.

yorkie20
Do you have a DogsTrust in your area? I contacted mine and they came and collected my unwanted china and glass together with a hoard of old books which they sell on their 'open days'. They also appreciate, washed of course ,old blankets,sheets and towels.These are essentials for recued animal's bedding.

Losing ones house & entire contents in last years bushfires made for a pile of ash
Now replacements are being bought after much thought as to what’s really needed !

An old lady once told me every year she has a death clear out everything that she thinks will be thrown away or given away by relatives she gets rid of wish I could be like that to much rubbish in my house ?

I agree with Yorkie, unfortunately my husband doesn’t. He keeps all manner of rubbish , just in case, but as he never knows what he’s got or where it is he usually has to buy stuff he needs, thus adding to the pile. If I die first it won’t be my problem but if he goes first I’ll have to hire a colossal skip.

I have no problem with the idea of getting rid of the ton of stuff that's been cluttering our cellar for decades. But any attempt to get rid of the daughter's Lego collection meets with massive resistance from her. She'll be 40 this year..

I did a bit of clearing out just before all this kicked off but my son never go round to taking them to charity shop for me- now im stuck with them as first they weren't accepting them,then they closed the shops of course.Ive had to shove them in a small outside brick shed.(used to be like a coalshed i think) but i desperately need to declutter kitchen cupboards too but then itl be in shed with more stuff! And house has two cupboards (on landing& in lounge) that are full to brim of "might come in useful" stuff or items we use occasionally,board games,knitting stuff family photos etc.?and tip is closed too.

But dogstrust wont be collecting either,due to the coronavirus.

I gave stuff away on Freecycle it's a good way to ensure someone utilises something you do not need. You only have to leave wrapped up in a safe place by porch bin etc. Ok sometimes people let you down and don't pick up. But it got a shed of ours emptied. It's better than taking it to a charity shop just be careful thought. Do not give your address publicly and only when you are text they are ready to pick up.

Donate the lot when charity shops reopen. Clutter just gets you down.

I feel for you paperbackwriter,i kept trying to get rid of stuff my sons have outgrown,but they ( mainly youngest,whose 17 nxt week!) Kept insisting we keep stuff,i gave away a few of his nerf guns,as he wasnt playing with them,and he had me buy him more on his last birhday-& theyve spent most of year in a box! I cant chuck anything now as we're confined to house,and he wont leave his room much.my other son,21 is a keen lego collector& never gets rid of any,he builds them& puts them on display but now theres loads cluttering up his room.he wont let anyone touch them either! Tbf he does have some that are expensive now as they no longer make them,maybe thats why your daughter wont get rid of any?

Meant birthday

Cannot get rid of most of my Dragons, love them all & some were very expensive. other bits & pieces over the years have gone to the Charity shop I volunteer in ( will I ever do that again ) Then something comes in to the shop that I just have to buy. After all I do have that bit of space that I cleared with my last donation. So it goes on! Now I look at things then put them back telling them that when I get back in the Shop they will go in. Some hope !

When all this is over, please think before donating en-mass to the charity shops. Most have very little storage space. I do voluntary work in a shop and it distresses me when we are seen as a dumping ground for folk getting rid of "stuff". We only sell clean, good quality items. You can see that when you look around the shop. Our manager works so hard to keep the shop looking fresh and clean. Things that we can't sell, have to be put in our bins, which rapidly fill up and which we are charged for. Look at what you are donating. If you can't imagine someone buying it, think again and take responsibility for getting rid of it yourselves.
We are grateful for the brilliant donations that we have and know that without them we couldn't help the people that we do. But please don't swamp us with cast offs that are very unlikely to be re-sold when the shops re-open. DH and I are hiring a skip soon to have a major clear out of the garage / house. Will be thinking carefully myself about what will go to charity shops and then only taking in small amounts.

I can definitely relate to this. Am off work due to being furloughed but still haven't tackled the clutter. When I moved home 5 years ago I thought I had got rid of a lot due to down sizing, clearly this clutter has grown again. There are boxes that have not been unpacked. I don't have a car at present so difficult to take to charity shops etc when open. I would love a tidy decluttered home not sure when that will happen. I have loved reading these posts. Thank you.

I collected stuff for 42 years moving 5 times and dragged the boxes with me. Last move 11 years ago and decided that it was ridiculous to keep all the clutter and that was what it was in the main eg 1970s curtains. It all went in a skip and was so refreshing, thinking I hadn't needed any of the treasure so why the heck did I keep it all so long. Best thing I had done on a personal level for many years.

We managed to get rid of all the stuff we were keeping because it might come in useful when last we moved.

We were helped by the fact that clearing my parents' home necessitated eight commercial skips for all the stuff we couldn't in good conscience give the local charity shop.

Since moving we have been careful, but I have a sneaking feeling that I should go through the attic SOON.

Elegran
The next few years are going to be very difficult for a lot of people, with businesses failing and jobs vanisjing. Itis possible that all that stuff that would "come in handy one day may be very useful indeed

What good points you make.
I keep things, because they DO come in handy. Sometime or other...

Only the other day I discovered a hand protective use for small bin bags. I could have kicked myself that I'd got rid of the doggie's poop bags only a few months ago ( he left us last year ). When you don't have disposable gloves, poop bags are well made and just the right size for hands when picking up things that might be dodgy...

I had a garage but had it demolished, because it was rather dilapidated, and never replaced it. I don't have a car so felt the garage would simply become a place to shove unwanted or broken stuff, rather than getting rid of same.
I also have a loft but cleared it out completely when the roof was replaced. That was several years ago now so I'm sure it needs going through, but may be that's something to be done when the good weather deserts us. Until then I can be found in the garden. ?

I've been decluttering for some time, but found it hard to part with craft items. Now I'm glad I didn't get rid of it all as at last I have the time to make things!

Although we decluttered before we moved 8 years ago we still brought a lot with us. My DH decided sleeping bags were a good idea to keep (despite our camping days being long gone) in case the next ice age comes or the heating breaks down. But our DD has forbidden us to go up in the loft (incase we fall and break a hip). She insists on going for us and throws things down saying you don't need this do you or you don't need that. Grit teeth and be thankful

I had a good clear out earlier in the year in readiness for decoration and other improvements downstairs. We had the walls painted and the new curtains fitted just in time but the new carpet and three piece suite are put on hold. Never mind. Far more important things to think about and l was able to put pictures up and ornaments in the corner units. The upstairs is a different matter. My husband has hoarding tendencies so I have been using some of this time (between working) sorting it out.

Our plumber had been given a spare part some years ago, wrong part for a boiler. He tucked it away in his shed & remembered when our boiler needed that part and it is now working beautifully after a very cold winter. Just in time for this heat wave!