Throwing Things Away

Two sets of full to queen bed rails this week. I've been telling people for almost a year now and can't find anyone that wants them. Tried to donate them only to be told they had a surplus. Guess I'm not the only one that no longer uses them.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
Two sets of full to queen bed rails this week. I've been telling people for almost a year now and can't find anyone that wants them. Tried to donate them only to be told they had a surplus. Guess I'm not the only one that no longer uses them.
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Bravo! Sounds like you have a mixed lot which can be more challenging to dispose of.

Years back I noticed a guy made the rounds in a pickup truck the night before trash pickup—most of the trash was curbside. He picked up metal and glass he could sell for scrap. So if one were getting rid of a storm door or a water heater, he would take it.

I spoke to him, and he would take other things. He told me to give him a call when I had something. Maybe there’s a person like that in your area?

I’m doing the weekly thing, too, now that I’ve got things back to normal: one trash can of papers a week.

Like going on a diet…
 
annr said:
Bravo! Sounds like you have a mixed lot which can be more challenging to dispose of.

Years back I noticed a guy made the rounds in a pickup truck the night before trash pickup—most of the trash was curbside. He picked up metal and glass he could sell for scrap. So if one were getting rid of a storm door or a water heater, he would take it.

I spoke to him, and he would take other things. He told me to give him a call when I had something. Maybe there’s a person like that in your area?

I’m doing the weekly thing, too, now that I’ve got things back to normal: one trash can of papers a week.

Like going on a diet…
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HE LEFT THEM!!! And I called the trashman, they won't pick up trash that doesn't fit in the can. They may be reconfigured into some project requiring angle iron.

I have to add to this, and this is for anyone and everyone, please PLEASE minimize before you pass on. If you are able, of course. There is nothing more awkward than going through a loved one's possessions trying to sort out what could be useful, what could be donated, and what can just be trashed. Because the guilt of throwing away your parents or grandparents belongings can SUCK.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
HE LEFT THEM!!! And I called the trashman, they won't pick up trash that doesn't fit in the can. They may be reconfigured into some project requiring angle iron.

I have to add to this, and this is for anyone and everyone, please PLEASE minimize before you pass on. If you are able, of course. There is nothing more awkward than going through a loved one's possessions trying to sort out what could be useful, what could be donated, and what can just be trashed. Because the guilt of throwing away your parents or grandparents belongings can SUCK.
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Frustrating! They do that around here, too. Some houses look like they are moving out every week--the trash truck stops for 20 minutes loading all their stuff, and then I put out the wrong thing and am out of luck.

A pet peeve: if cardboard doesn't' fit in my recycle can, I have to break it down and put it in a plastic garbage bag for regular trash--even it is neatly broken down in a stack.

Maybe you can schedule a pick up with your city for some of your items that don't fit in the can......they do that around here. I say don't hang on to the bed rails, it sounds like you don't really like them that much and you will never finish (just a suggestion)!

Your second point is a great motivator behind what I'm doing. It's in the front of my mind: "if I don't deal with this now, someone else will have to....If I never cared about my diplomas, never framed them, displayed them, why not just throw them away now rather than wait? So far I seem to be THE only person I know willing to throw away diplomas and awards! LOL!

It's a lot of work.
 
I had a two-piece large heavy entertainment armoire I got rid of. No one wanted it. Thing was 6 1/2' tall stacked. I watched for the trash truck at his usual time and my neighbor and I wheeled both parts on separate furniture dolley's. Driver stopped and before I said a word he said he wont take those because he can't lift them by himself. I said you don't need to do anything, we will toss them in the back of the truck. He still said no and drove on.
The next week both parts were in about 50 pieces neatly stacked at the curb. I removed all nails and hardware. Well within the companies guidelines. I sat in my chair outside the garage and watched him load it all piece by piece in his truck. Took him 15 minutes. He was not happy. I was enjoying a cold beer watching him. Bet he wont do that again.

If I have metal objects the scrap guy passes on, I sawz-all it into the size requirement of the refuse company and leave it out the next week.

A bunch of years back I had so much stuff. Thinned it out each year but never seemed to make a dent in what I had. Went through this each year with spring cleaning. I finally just tossed everything but family photos, cards and only paperwork that I absolutely needed family to have when I die. I spent a year shredding paper from 3 stuffed file cabinets. Some things I found that I still wanted to keep, I scanned and put on portable hard drives. Little bit of shredding and scanning each day until it was gone then gave the file cabinets to the scrap guy. My file cabinet is now a portable file tote in my closet. It's packed but is only what was needed. Everything in it was scanned and the portable drives are in a safe deposit box.

My parents house is next. Dad is 94. Mom passed a few years ago. They thinned things out a bit when they were still able to but still many things on 3 floors. All Mom's treasures that you cant even give away now days. Young people just don't want old stuff. Going to pull on my heartstrings tossing most of it in dumpsters.
 
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My wife and I hate to throw anything out. It’s not a good way to be. Last fall I ordered a 10 Cu Yard dumpster and we got rid of literally a ton of stuff.

It’s amazing how little you care about most things once you decide you’re ready to throw them away.

I tossed 98% of my school notebooks, which I was particularly proud of. I only felt like I needed them.

I’m going to probably do this again next year with a smaller dumpster.
 
The Zieg said:
I'm watching this thread. We have a lot that we're getting rid of pending a move overseas. When it gets down to edged things, firearms, and horses, the tears will flow.
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Having moved countries several times in my life I feel your pain.

I will probably relocate again for retirement in the coming years and when I do many of my possessions and a huge part of my knife collection will have to go. It will be unbelievably hard but ultimately it will need to be done......... 😳 🫣
 
LMT66 LMT66 some good stuff there and a good dose of motivation. It's daunting looking at the file cabinets and you are right, I need to get on the ball with shredding. You reminded me of another physician I know. He is up there in world-class hoarding. When I visited him, he still had his Christmas wreath from decades ago, and Holloween decorations, etc. He moved this stuff around the country as he did his training. Unbelievable. When he studied for his boards, he had a scanner at his side and scanned 1000s of documents and photos. His computer was the cleanest, most organized area of his house.

EngrSorenson EngrSorenson , You are right. Most of this stuff doesn't matter that much, even when one is alive. It's inspirational to hear about the benefit of the dumpster (again), and the intention to repeat. Again, this puts things in perspective.

I don't know if any of you has heard of or read this book:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing​


Her method is quite organized and the main litmus test is whether something gives you joy or not--you really like it or don't care. Don't keep paper. Most can be scanned and/or replaced. She folds clothes to maximize space and efficiency. I got stuck on the clothing.
Recently, I disposed of 2 closets of clothes: won't EVER wear anything that needs dry cleaning. Won't EVER wears shoes that are remotely uncomfortable. Gifts of clothes that were unappealing colors, etc., got rid of them no matter the name brand of quality. I also realized that if I don't wash and wear clothes regularly, they begin to smell musty...better off without so many clothes.
 
annr said:
LMT66 LMT66 some good stuff there and a good dose of motivation. It's daunting looking at the file cabinets and you are right, I need to get on the ball with shredding. You reminded me of another physician I know. He is up there in world-class hoarding. When I visited him, he still had his Christmas wreath from decades ago, and Holloween decorations, etc. He moved this stuff around the country as he did his training. Unbelievable. When he studied for his boards, he had a scanner at his side and scanned 1000s of documents and photos. His computer was the cleanest, most organized area of his house.

EngrSorenson EngrSorenson , You are right. Most of this stuff doesn't matter that much, even when one is alive. It's inspirational to hear about the benefit of the dumpster (again), and the intention to repeat. Again, this puts things in perspective.

I don't know if any of you has heard of or read this book:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing​


Her method is quite organized and the main litmus test is whether something gives you joy or not--you really like it or don't care. Don't keep paper. Most can be scanned and/or replaced. She folds clothes to maximize space and efficiency. I got stuck on the clothing.
Recently, I disposed of 2 closets of clothes: won't EVER wear anything that needs dry cleaning. Won't EVER wears shoes that are remotely uncomfortable. Gifts of clothes that were unappealing colors, etc., got rid of them no matter the name brand of quality. I also realized that if I don't wash and wear clothes regularly, they begin to smell musty...better off without so many clothes.
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I forgot to mention that I thinned out everything. Clothes, furniture, gear, guns, knives, garage stuff, files, books, music CD's.
If I had to move, I'd just need to sell my furniture then I could fill my sedan and its trunk with what's left and drive to my new place. Feels good not having so much stuff. Would be simple for family if I pass.
It takes time doing this but it is worth it. The sooner you start, the better.
 
There is also Margareta Magnusson's book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter. In Swedish the term is Dostadning.
 
LMT66 said:
I forgot to mention that I thinned out everything. Clothes, furniture, gear, guns, knives, garage stuff, files, books, music CD's.
If I had to move, I'd just need to sell my furniture then I could fill my sedan and its trunk with what's left and drive to my new place. Feels good not having so much stuff. Would be simple for family if I pass.
It takes time doing this but it is worth it. The sooner you start, the better.
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Truly an inspiration and aspirational goal!

ETA: so you would re-purchase furniture, etc? Here's my one concern: my older items are US made and made very well. I simply don't want to replace with newer, cheap stuff on today's market or pay for custom furniture, if that's viable.

It's funny how this is an issue for so many people. My best friend/mentor was burdened his whole life by the feeling that he needed to de-clutter and simplify—almost a spiritual quest. He was a very bright, intuitive guy and a gentle soul. He hired people to help him "organize," and he was always dissatisfied by their approach, thought process, or something. Finally, I offered to help him. Here's how it went:

We started with his rather large, completely packed closet--clothes hanging on racks double hung, all walls. The first thing I noticed was that all of his clothes were either beige/tan or light blue. He said he liked to match the pants to the shirt.

OK, I thought: with 100's of blue shirts, we would find a few redundancies and things to donate. After hours of considering each garment, I realized that he liked each shirt for a different reason: different fabric, different shade of color, different texture, etc. So we kept everything!

Decades later, after he had moved to the West Coast, I heard from his "organizer" turned caregiver that he had passed away, and I was in his will. I did not inherent but a few photos and the rest was in IRAs and cash, so he must have sorted it out in the end. These are examples of photos I would keep...I think, and I still hear our discussions of de-cluttering and simplifying.
 
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I had a brother in law that used to have the shoe box rule. he felt each person in the house could keep a shoe box worth of personal stuff. things like pictures, birthday cards, stuff kids made in class, etc. when the shoe box got full ya had to toss something in it to stick whatever in it. he was quite organized and never had clutter/hoarding hidden in drawers, closets packed full etc.

I've noticed many folks are more hoarders than they want to admit, but they tend to hide their hoarding in closets packed full, basements, garages, sheds, barns, etc.

when the clutter in the barn and home starts piling outside due to no room left then it's time to fix it😂
 
annr said:
Truly an inspiration and aspirational goal!

ETA: so you would re-purchase furniture, etc? Here's my one concern: my older items are US made and made very well. I simply don't want to replace with newer, cheap stuff on today's market or pay for custom furniture, if that's viable.

It's funny how this is an issue for so many people. My best friend/mentor was burdened his whole life by the feeling that he needed to de-clutter and simplify—almost a spiritual quest. He was a very bright, intuitive guy and a gentle soul. He hired people to help him "organize," and he was always dissatisfied by their approach, thought process, or something. Finally, I offered to help him. Here's how it went:

We started with his rather large, completely packed closet--clothes hanging on racks double hung, all walls. The first thing I noticed was that all of his clothes were either beige/tan or light blue. He said he liked to match the pants to the shirt.

OK, I thought: with 100's of blue shirts, we would find a few redundancies and things to donate. After hours of considering each garment, I realized that he liked each shirt for a different reason: different fabric, different shade of color, different texture, etc. So we kept everything!

Decades later, after he had moved to the West Coast, I heard from his "organizer" turned caregiver that he had passed away, and I was in his will. I did not inherent but a few photos and the rest was in IRAs and cash, so he must have sorted it out in the end. These are examples of photos I would keep...I think, and I still hear our discussions of de-cluttering and simplifying.
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If I were moving cross country, I'd sell my furniture. Cross town or within my tri-state area, no. I have no furniture that was made before 1985. What I have is all nice and built well (dovetail joints and all that) and all but 2 pieces were made in the USA but I have no attachment to any of it. With the downsizing of things, I found I needed less places to store things so thinned out some big furniture pieces. My stereo system took up a wall and was replaced with a Bose Wave Radio/CD player. Letting go of my old Cerwin Vega speakers was tough but I did it.

The furniture thing is what my sisters and I will need to deal with at my fathers house at some point.
Upstairs there are 8 dressers that have been in the family line since the 1930's. They are all in great condition with lots of intricate woodwork on them.
A dining room table with matching chairs and sideboard that are beautiful. Probably made in the 1940's. The sideboard is in such good condition that it looks much more recent. No one ever touched it! Its also full of china and silver sets.
Also an equally nice buffet in the front hallway. This one was built by my mothers father who owned a lumber mill in Minnesota. There is also an old upright piano.
We are unsure what will happen to it all. We have family locally, in Minnesota and California but no one wants the furniture. Their houses are too full as it is and everyone is getting old and shipping not worth it to the California family.
Mom cherished her furniture. When she was alive I showed her FB Marketplace and ebay items that were from around the same era and they either sat unsold or or never hit a low reserve bid. Mom was shocked.
Its a damn shame so much antique furniture can't find homes. I guess people just want new stuff nowadays.
There is a local lady in town that buys old furniture at estate sales and she says she pays little money for them because no one wants them. She strips all the hand applied finishes off these beautiful pieces then paints them pink, yellow and blue and sells them and people snatch them up. Shame to do that to fine furniture.

I think it's a good idea to have a plan on what happens if you have heirloom furniture and are up in age. So far we have inquired at a local working farm that our park district runs. There are two farmhouses on the property with period furniture. They open the farm houses up for special events and it's like stepping back 100+ years in time. The houses were built between 1850 and 1860. They may take the dining set and a couple dressers. They also work with the next towns park district who has preserved another old farm house. They could possibly take a couple more dressers.
I think Mom would be happy with this outcome if she were still alive. She would roll in her grave if they were all painted pink, yellow and blue and sold as she-shed furniture.
 
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LMT66 said:
If I were moving cross country, I'd sell my furniture. Cross town or within my tri-state area, no. I have no furniture that was made before 1985. What I have is all nice and built well (dovetail joints and all that) and all but 2 pieces were made in the USA but I have no attachment to any of it. With the downsizing of things, I found I needed less places to store things so thinned out some big furniture pieces. My stereo system took up a wall and was replaced with a Bose Wave Radio/CD player. Letting go of my old Cerwin Vega speakers was tough but I did it.

The furniture thing is what my sisters and I will need to deal with at my fathers house at some point.
Upstairs there are 8 dressers that have been in the family line since the 1930's. They are all in great condition with lots of intricate woodwork on them.
A dining room table with matching chairs and sideboard that are beautiful. Probably made in the 1940's. The sideboard is in such good condition that it looks much more recent. No one ever touched it! Its also full of china and silver sets.
Also an equally nice buffet in the front hallway. This one was built by my mothers father who owned a lumber mill in Minnesota. There is also an old upright piano.
We are unsure what will happen to it all. We have family locally, in Minnesota and California but no one wants the furniture. Their houses are too full as it is and everyone is getting old and shipping not worth it to the California family.
Mom cherished her furniture. When she was alive I showed her FB Marketplace and ebay items that were from around the same era and they either sat unsold or or never hit a low reserve bid. Mom was shocked.
Its a damn shame so much antique furniture can't find homes. I guess people just want new stuff nowadays.
There is a local lady in town that buys old furniture at estate sales and she says she pays little money for them because no one wants them. She strips all the hand applied finishes off these beautiful pieces then paints them pink, yellow and blue and sells them and people snatch them up. Shame to do that to fine furniture.

I think it's a good idea to have a plan on what happens if you have heirloom furniture and are up in age. So far we have inquired at a local working farm that our park district runs. There are two farmhouses on the property with period furniture. They open the farm houses up for special events and it's like stepping back 100+ years in time. The houses were built between 1850 and 1860. They may take the dining set and a couple dressers. They also work with the next towns park district who has preserved another old farm house. They could possibly take a couple more dressers.
I think Mom would be happy with this outcome if she were still alive. She would roll in her grave if they were all painted pink, yellow and blue and sold as she-shed furniture.
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Thanks for the input and ideas. I understand about the furniture. Our furniture is (mostly) not heirloom, but it is not available currently. My parents used a high-priced home decorator and had all the furniture custom built. I love the colors, fabrics, style, and the way things go together--feels like home. I think their furniture has lasted decades because it was high-quality to begin with. Of course, these are just things too, but if I have to sit on something...

You are right there are a lot of considerations and logistics with families and furniture and your furniture sounds special. Maybe you'll run across the right buyer at the right time. (This has happened to me.)

I'm familiar with moving pianos...One has to hire the right people to safely get the piano out of the house, around corners, down stairs, over curbs, etc., and they charge based on those types of details peculiar to each house. We hired "Death Wish" piano movers. It's great to see them around town placing pianos into upper floor condos: going through the window w/ grand piano hanging from a crane hook.

I just parted with my stereo speakers and emptied a large crate of journals. I'm feeling like my avatar....slow.
 
I try to "travel light" through life and although I admire people who does this process automatically, for me is more like a periodical thing and, from time to time, do some trimming on my belongings both on the shop and at home.
I try to stick to things that 1 - I use often; 2 - I don´t use so often but are hard to get back everytime I need them; 3 - things with personal value.
That said, I am far from the ideal on this subject but keep trying.
 
Several years ago, I decided to throw out a bunch of old paperwork I had squirreled away in some file boxes. Things like old bank statements, tax returns, etc. I even had all of my LES statements from when I was in the Navy (I've been out for 34 years, now). Since these documents might have personal information on them (SS number, etc.) I fired up the shredder and went to work. So much garbage paperwork, that the shredder motor burnt up. Had to run out and buy a new paper shredder. Being neat is expensive. 🤣
 
Ivan Campos said:
I try to "travel light" through life and although I admire people who does this process automatically, for me is more like a periodical thing and, from time to time, do some trimming on my belongings both on the shop and at home.
I try to stick to things that 1 - I use often; 2 - I don´t use so often but are hard to get back everytime I need them; 3 - things with personal value.
That said, I am far from the ideal on this subject but keep trying.
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I like this-- sounds practical and reasonable. For me, the trick is achieving a net outflow and prioritizing time to pare things down.
 
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