Thinking out loud

[Someone-Else]

I have a bunch of bits and bobs lying around..............several boxes of rexel 5000 staples, plug in powersupply for ? a couple of 8gb memory sticks, reversing cameras (and leads) bluetooth speaker, empty boxes (for ipod) expired "ID" / membership cards.....etc

Yes some, if not all really is junk, but it seems a shame to bin it (probably why I haven't) but on the flip side, what else can I do with it, can't give it away (tried some of the bigger bits on gumtree, for a tiny price, nothing) I wont use freecycle as too many time wasters.

Question, what "stuff" have you got and are you going to get rid of any?

I am seriously considering getting a skip in the better weather and putting all the stuff in first then the new fridge and freezer cardboard boxes (and old fridge and freezer, that are sitting in the garden) as well as some old clothes. (dont want to keep it till November to make a guy)

I am sure some of the stuff has a use, but who to give it to?

[chrrris]

Heheh.. As a "recovering hoarder" I totally sympathise. I hate throwing stuff out, but I force myself to do it every few months. Some stuff, especially computer and electronics things, although expensive to buy, ends up being obsolete within 4 or 5 years. My last big throw out included some really old computer bits like a "palm pilot" (no, not a sex toy -- I suppose it was a forerunner to a smart phone) and Psion 3c handheld computer -- completely useless now, but I was holding on to it because "it will be worth something one day". Of course, the sad reality is that I'll be long dead before things like that have any real antique/collectable value.

Mind you I did throw out a box of old cables (mainly SCART cables that I was holding onto "just in case" - remember them?!) which also included a big reel of twisted pair phone cable (useless, I decided, because "everything is wireless now"). Two weeks after binning it I decided to fit one of those fancy Ring camera doorbells at home and realised the phone cable would have been ideal for supplying power to it. Typical.

As wasteful as it seems, I do recommend just binning it all. You'll feel so much better for it afterwards, even if you do end up chucking stuff you subsequently think of a use for. I've tried advertising stuff for free collection on freecycle-type sites but 95% of the people who use those sites are complete idiots and timewasters in my experience.

[Cannyfixit]

I’m currently facing the same delema,my garage and loft are at bursting point with all that “it will come in handy one day” stuff
last summer I decided to get brutal and make an effort to get rid,
I ended up with about 15 bags at the back of the van ready to tip them,
Trouble is you then doubt your self and check the bags just in case you might have thrown something that was needed,
Only 4 bags ended up in the tip

[Rorschach]

Take it to a charity shop, they know what sells and what to bin and they won't get precious about it.

[ahfix]

I'm in the same boat myself, I don't think of myself as a materialistic person but I've managed accumulate lots of odd and ends which I keep hold of thinking there is a another use for them ... the justification for hanging on to items is not wanting to be wasteful.

I've had a few minor clear outs, I usually have one when I've been looking from something and ended up really ****ed off. Recently I chucked lots of power tool cases (which I find are usually odd sizes and take up a lot of space) and other random shed junk.

The real issue I think have is it takes a while to sort through things and while items are in the "to sort" or "to bin" pile they end up back where they started ... the the cycle continues.

Charity shops are great, however I have found the local one very snotty. They are a children's charity but when I took down a baby playpen they just didn't want it "oh no we don't take those " so I didn't bother taking them anything else. They also said that they tend to give cuddly toys to a dogs home rather than keep them which I thought was quite arrogant especially if someone want to give toys a second home thinking they are helping a needy family out.

There is a British Heart Foundation shop a few miles way and they are great, they even collect large items free. Problem is there is no parking close to the shop so you end up lugging items up the high street and then walking back to the car for the next X loads.

[Dave54]

I'll bet if you put the memory sticks in a placcy bag and pin them to a noticeboard with a "free" notice they'll do somebody a good turn.
Otherwise it's charity shop or tip.
I need to have a huge clearout myself.