Anyone else feel like this?

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, maybe to you as things need replaced, or to your family, as grandchildren leave the nest and set up separate homes, or to complete strangers buying in charity shops or reciveing Fresh Start donations. I believe domestic violence has increased with lockdown, so there will be people moving out of the marital home when they can, perhaps with children.

So don't send/take anything to the tip that may still have years of use in it. Don't waste good stuff!

I'm a declutterer. If it hasn't been used for a year then it's not needed and out it goes.

I used to keep things just in case but when I escaped I had nothing and quickly realised how little you need to be happy. Not that I haven't collected some stuff since but I try to follow the Willam Morris adage, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

I am dreadful for hanging onto clutter. I think it comes from being brought up only getting things for Christmas and birthdays. If something got lost or broken, too bad - you still had to wait to get it replaced, and that has stayed with me.

Also, I was taught at an early age that you should 'buy things to last', which doesn't really fit with today's society, where things become unusable, rather than simply out of date. I'm thinking of things like the enormous number of DVDs we have, despite the fact that we tend to stream films, and know that before long it will be impossible to buy a DVD player if ours breaks or wears out.

I now have an 'it might come in useful one day' mentality that is very hard to shift, and I have so much 'stuff' after living here for many years that it's getting on my nerves. It's not remotely on a 'Hoarder Next Door' level, but bad enough to make me realise that I need to have a massive clearout, which won't be easy.

It's annoying that at the very time when we could be getting on top of it all there is no way to get rid of it all, but obviously there are good reasons for that.

In many ways, I would love someone to come in (when I am out and unable to make contact in any way!) and do the clearcut for me, so that I don't get too upset at the thought of throwing things away. I'm quite sure I wouldn't miss 99% of it, and the other 1% could easily be replaced.

Well I'm normally one to get rid of things. But I'm thinking that prices may go up a lot after this pandemic. So I'm hanging onto things a bit more than I might have done.

We moved house 3 weeks ago after 39 years in the same place. I decluttered so much. A lot of things were valuable but had been sitting in the cupboard for decades. A lot I came across I didn't even remember I had and some was of sentimental value. These were the hardest to get rid of but I rationalized it by saying had I used them instead of putting them in a cupboard they would probably be broken or worn out and I'd not have them in any case.
I'm actually liking not having a cluttered house and cupboards that are not full to breaking point.

yorkie20 not sure if you can do anything with it just now but when lockdown is all over please think of others. My grandma had a house/loft and garage full of stuff she refused to get rid off or donate/give to anyone. Her argument was "it may come in useful one day" Except it never did come in useful. When she died it was absolutely heartbreaking for the ones who had the job of clearing the house. Just looking at the things that had been so dear to her was bad enough but nobody seemed to want any of it (in our disposable society). Made my mind up then, I would de-clutter every year. Although am mindful that you say your house isn't cluttered and the stuff in garage is in boxes so may not be applicable to you. Have a rummage round while we are housebound and decide what you can get rid of when it is lifted.

I think it might Sodapop, and I think charity shops will be extremely busy. I believe that this crisis will make folk think about why they are holding on to things. We have become very materialistic.
I put a note on gifts of who gave me it if I keep to recycle. Buf recently we did a very ruthless clear out because let's face it most things we hold on to for years will never be used again. Letting go is the problem.

Be careful there ExD you may cause some family ructions

I'm just hoping that when our voluntary library reopens we won't be inundated with bags of tatty old books that people have been clearing out of their attics and barns.

Mine is all in the attic, along with boxes of who know's what that the children left behind when they left home.
I can't face the task of clearing it all out. I hate to admit there are several gifts too hideous to display - I might re-gift them if I remembered who donated them in the first place.

I've got a shed full of 'might need in the future' stuff.

Pretty sure I won't really need it. Even now, can't be bothered to sort it out though.