I keep collecting buying"empty boxes" [hmm] plastic cardboard etc anyone else collect things they might need?

I'm a box collector perfume gift set boxes are my favourite also shoe boxes but any box plastic or cardboard I just can't part with thinking it will come in useful I also keep any fancy tins usually that have contained biscuits or chocolates from Christmas

If you really want to cure yourself of these tendencies to save thing that might come in useful, let me tell you what helped me.

Three consecutive weekends clearing one small house of the things my parents had collected during their retirement. They had "cleared out" a lot of unnecessary things 20 odd years earlier when my father retired.

We finished with four car-loads of stuff for the nearest charity shops, plus four industrial sized skips for rubbish.

After that both my sister and I found it remarkably easy not to hoard, as we were both certain that her grown children who had helped clearing their grandparents' house won't want to do it again.

Snap! I have empty boxes and tins galore. I've become worse since two moves in the last three years (first to a rental property, then the newly finished house). I've kept much of the packing paper - just in case it might be useful! Last night I wrestled for ages separating, trimming and folding an enormous (ridiculously) amount of bubble wrap that enshrouded a chair delivered from JL It could be useful. Worse though, is the fact that I then don't use the stuff, in case a better use might present itself!!

Another box collector here,I do use some at Christmas to put gifts in them and parcel then up, very useful for some odd shaped presents, these boxes always come in handy even if only at Christmas.Waste not want not!

I save bubble wrap etc to use with charity shop collections who take from house. They also appreciate used shopping bags even paper ones that we get here with clothing purchases. They also appreciate small boxes to use for donated jewellery.
I am guilty of keeping nice larger boxes... Some contain mementos of dear ones....even have one for self and dh

Much as I too can be tempted by those empty boxes, I can only support what others have said - if you've ever cleared out a parent's home, you will never clutter your own up again. For me, it was heartbreaking, tedious and sometimes, irritating. What really saddened me was: the huge plastic box full of birthday, mother's day cards, Chistmas cards, etc. that my Mum had kept for 70+ years. The box full of baby clothes (some 50+ years old) for the other babies she couldn't have. And TWO large plastic "underbed" boxes full to the brim of brand new tea towels that she never used (the ones in the kitchen were full of holes but she couldn't bring herself to chuck them out). Now, whenever I'm tempted by those boxes, I always think of Mum's bungalow.

I am definitely not a hoarders and if I no longer have a use for anything it goes to a charity shop.
Unfortunately I cannot say the same for my husband who hates to get rid of anything ????

Same here Chino I stopped collecting things when I moved several years ago. No hoarding or things to dust etc. Sadly my husband is quite the opposite.

How comforting to read all this, I thought it was only me. Boxes which might come in useful, and boxes that might be needed to return faulty item, and plastic bags. Unfortunate when I need a plastic bag I think that's .too good to use for whatever so can't part with them !

Shoeboxes are useful if you take part in the annual "Operation Christmas Child" collections. Take them to your nearest collection point, empty or filled with the suggested items - another reason to collect during the year!

I don't collect boxes but have an enormous collection of bone china tea sets. Many have 120 pieces in. I have about 7 complete dinner and tea services. I tried to stop buying and scale back. I gave one entire set to my niece when she had her first child and one to my dd on the birth of dgs. It is sad really as i have soup tourines and everything bit only 4 cops and saucers, milk jug and teapot get used and occasionally the layered cake played. My dh says i should rent it out for vintage weddings.

My ACs have gone from eye rolling and groaning at my ‘collections’ to telling their DCs, “go ask Granny. She will have whatever you want”.
We collect small containers for school as requested by them, if the GCs don’t get to them first. Big strong boxes become dens and a smaller strong box currently has a 4 year old in it pretending to be a ?

Just remembered another use I have for boxes. My husband has many medicines and I keep all the bottles, packets etc in a box and my smaller amount of medicines in a smaller box, very handy and easy to see which tablets belong to who.

And sadly, clearing parents and in-laws' houses didn't work for me as I brought a lot of their bits and pieces home with me. I still have their boxes of "stuff" stacked up in my bedroom. Waiting for a time when I feel able to tackle it all.

Mine is jars with lids! Jam or sauce/mustard jars, that sort as I always intend to make chutney etc but never quite get around to it! ?

I only keep boxes which 'belong' to electrical items incl steamer, cordless vacuum, kitchen knife set, stand mixer, juicer, curling tongs (going on eBay) and desk fan.
All packed flat in an underbed plastic lidded box with their packaging and instruction leaflets in the utility room.
Nothing on top of wardrobes or cupboards.

I've got an ancient six-sided Marshall & Snelgrove hatbox, in which I keep my wedding hat. I am a sucker for little wooden boxes which then clutter up surfaces but they do bring back memories of where I bought them.

My husband is a collector - boxes, padded envelopes, screw top jars +++ It annoys me because we haven't much storage space.
Sometimes when he's out (not often) I sneak a few and go out for a walk and put them in different bins.
If he knew he would blow his top!

i am sat here right now looking at my wardrobe thinking i will buy some boxes to sort stuff out, last weekend it was my kitchen, there is just something about boxes haha, glad im not alone.

I don't buy boxes but I do keep them to use for putting Christmas presents in. My family love that they never know what they've got as every present is in a box. Even vouchers. It has started to rub off on the rest of the family. Makes present opening more exciting.

Have a look at Marie Kondo on Netflix or you tube. You’ll find so many uses for your boxes my cupboards and drawers have never been so tidy (I’m a bit horder too)

I collect boxes and DH throws them out.

If I need a box to post a parcel I look everywhere, saying 'I'm sure I saved a very light box just the size I need', then realise he's thrown them out. He keeps trying to throw out my jars too.
And my tins.

Our loft is full of boxes kept in case the electrical item had to be returned. 0ver 35 years in this house that is a lot of boxes. This year our resolution is every time DH goes in the loft one box comes out.

Two years ago I was refused a refund for a very expensive item because I had not returned it in the original packaging, so now I keep those boxes until the warranty expires. I also keep good strong delivery boxes and bubble wrap as they're handy for sending gifts to GC etc. My son was once about to throw out a nice looking Ted Baker box when I discovered it had a musical movement in it, so I kept it and made it into a jewellery box. As boxes can be fitted inside each other my 'collection' doesn't take up too much space, but every now and then DH tries to smuggle a few out for recycling. I too have three crates of greetings cards in the loft which I can't bring myself to discard. Some are from family and friends no longer with us and it's lovely just to see their messages and handwriting again. My mother was a hoarder, and yes it was time consuming clearing her home when she died. But it was also an insight into elements of her life I knew nothing about, and I kept a few things she would not have wanted destroyed. Our children will probably do the same when we are gone.

I only keep boxes when I can see a use for them. Otherwise, once the product is out of the box or used up, the box goes into the green bin for recycling.