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This is such an understated take IMO. In our house we are constantly moving things out to reduce clutter, get rid of unneeded items and, maybe most of all, elim

This is such an understated take IMO. In our house we are constantly moving things out to reduce clutter, get rid of unneeded items and, maybe most of all, eliminate the stress of just knowing they’re there. Sometimes we get rid of something we later realize we needed. It’s pretty rare, but when it happens it’s almost never anything expensive. How do you put a price tag on your stress level, though? Just get rid of it and spend the $20-50 if you cut a bit too deep. A few “lessons” like that and you’ll be way more in tune with what you actually need. It’s been years since we had to “rebuy” anything at all. I still think moving again would be daunting, just because we are a family of 6 and there’s no way to move that much furniture easily, much less all the things that fill that furniture. But at least if it happens we don’t have to move a bunch of trash we can’t easily discern the need for. EDIT: also “getting rid of stuff” doesn’t necessarily mean throwing it away. If you’re willing to give things away there are a lot of people out there who could actually use the things you’re not. Clothes, kitchen gadgets, kids’ toys… especially toys, we have our kids pick several items before every birthday/Christmas to give away to make room for whatever the family is about to give them.

PebblesRox 1y ago
The optimal amount of regret from decluttering is non-zero! I’ve learned that yes, maybe 1 out of every 100 items I get rid of will turn out to be something I need again in the future. That’s a worthwhile price to pay for the benefit of not having the other 99 items in my life! Donating to thrift stores is very convenient. And I learned recently that if I have stuff that’s not really nice enough for the thrift store to sell, I can just list it on Facebook Marketplace for free and people will come take it away from my porch! Makes me feel better about getting rid of stuff that still has some use in it, because I’m not just throwing it in the trash. My mother-in-law and her friends use a system I call clutter laundering. Anything with too much sentimental value to give to a stranger, they pass along to each other. Presumably once the emotional distance is long enough, somebody can actually get rid of it for good! (That’s what I’ve been helping my MIL do with stuff that comes to her at least!)
- arcastroe 1y ago
  Things with sentimental value have so because they trigger memories. I find a photo of the object triggers memories just the same. Snap a photo, place it in some memories album, and donate. It's much easier to hoard digital photos than physical objects
  - _dark_matter_ 1y ago
    This is a great idea! Thank you!
- ghaff 1y ago
  I live on a busy road but at the end of a very long driveway. I find if I drag a piece of furniture or outdoor equipment out to the end of the driveway on a nice weekend, its half-life of still being there is maybe a few hours.
WillAdams 1y ago
Yeah, this is best summed up as: >Only the rich can afford to have nothing. (if they get rid of something and miss it, they'll just buy another)
- twodave 1y ago
  Yeah, I can understand that sentiment. We’ve done this since I graduated from college, when I was making about 1/10 annually what I am now, though. As I said, you get pretty good at knowing what is worth keeping. Besides, even with a low income it is important to prioritize being charitable. We teach this to our kids. If you don’t prioritize it early in life when things are tight, you’re likely not to prioritize it later when most people have even more opportunity to be charitable.
nullc 1y ago
> eliminate the stress of just knowing they’re there That sounds both irrational and unhealthy. Why are you suffering from stress because you have stuff?
- twodave 1y ago
  I thought the context of my comment made it obvious. Unneeded and unnecessary items cluttering up your home are to me akin to leaves in the garage. It inconveniences me every time I have to step around or over them, clear space to set a drink down, move that box in my closet full of old cables, etc., similar to how walking into your garage with socks on is a lot more annoying if there are leaves and pollen about. I would contend it’s rather less healthy not to notice these things since they subtract from one’s executive function.
  - nullc 1y ago
    Had your comment said that you were inconvenienced by stuff in your way when you were trying to get things done or find things, I wouldn't have even considered commenting.
    - twodave 1y ago
      Interesting! I thought that was implied by my use of the word “clutter,” since that’s how I think of the term.

PebblesRox 1y ago

The optimal amount of regret from decluttering is non-zero! I’ve learned that yes, maybe 1 out of every 100 items I get rid of will turn out to be something I need again in the future. That’s a worthwhile price to pay for the benefit of not having the other 99 items in my life! Donating to thrift stores is very convenient. And I learned recently that if I have stuff that’s not really nice enough for the thrift store to sell, I can just list it on Facebook Marketplace for free and people will come take it away from my porch! Makes me feel better about getting rid of stuff that still has some use in it, because I’m not just throwing it in the trash. My mother-in-law and her friends use a system I call clutter laundering. Anything with too much sentimental value to give to a stranger, they pass along to each other. Presumably once the emotional distance is long enough, somebody can actually get rid of it for good! (That’s what I’ve been helping my MIL do with stuff that comes to her at least!)

arcastroe 1y ago
Things with sentimental value have so because they trigger memories. I find a photo of the object triggers memories just the same. Snap a photo, place it in some memories album, and donate. It's much easier to hoard digital photos than physical objects
- _dark_matter_ 1y ago
  This is a great idea! Thank you!
ghaff 1y ago
I live on a busy road but at the end of a very long driveway. I find if I drag a piece of furniture or outdoor equipment out to the end of the driveway on a nice weekend, its half-life of still being there is maybe a few hours.

WillAdams 1y ago

Yeah, this is best summed up as: >Only the rich can afford to have nothing. (if they get rid of something and miss it, they'll just buy another)

twodave 1y ago
Yeah, I can understand that sentiment. We’ve done this since I graduated from college, when I was making about 1/10 annually what I am now, though. As I said, you get pretty good at knowing what is worth keeping. Besides, even with a low income it is important to prioritize being charitable. We teach this to our kids. If you don’t prioritize it early in life when things are tight, you’re likely not to prioritize it later when most people have even more opportunity to be charitable.

nullc 1y ago

> eliminate the stress of just knowing they’re there That sounds both irrational and unhealthy. Why are you suffering from stress because you have stuff?

twodave 1y ago
I thought the context of my comment made it obvious. Unneeded and unnecessary items cluttering up your home are to me akin to leaves in the garage. It inconveniences me every time I have to step around or over them, clear space to set a drink down, move that box in my closet full of old cables, etc., similar to how walking into your garage with socks on is a lot more annoying if there are leaves and pollen about. I would contend it’s rather less healthy not to notice these things since they subtract from one’s executive function.
- nullc 1y ago
  Had your comment said that you were inconvenienced by stuff in your way when you were trying to get things done or find things, I wouldn't have even considered commenting.
  - twodave 1y ago
    Interesting! I thought that was implied by my use of the word “clutter,” since that’s how I think of the term.