hi again, I came back.

Now that Christmas is over, I am staring at the piles again. I think I will come over to your other thread. I definitely could use some help. Thank you!

Hello Lila!

Tatoulia told me you were over here.

I know exactly what you are talking about. And no, I don't think those people have stuff. They just don't. There are people who don't keep books - they just read them and pass them on (or don't really read, or maybe use the library or kindle) people who have tiny wardrobes, people who keep all their pictures on their phones...

Then there are us. I don't think we need to be like the magazine people, but we do need our stuff to fit in our space.

I am slowly getting there. I recommend against boxing it up right now. If you are able to get rid of 10-15%, that is fantastic! Keep going through your spaces and get rid of what you can - get it donated and out of the house ASAP. Then take another look. Don't worry about how you are going to store the rest until you have weeded out a bit.

When I started this journey, I had literally hundreds of boxes of random items I had scooped up to make clear spaces to live in. I still have bins and boxes, but far fewer and mostly not in our living spaces. It is a journey that I am still navigating.

The people here are very supportive and nonjudgmental. If you want we will help you here, or you can come into the chat thread and get a glimpse of everyone's daily life.

Hi Lila! Welcome!

I know what you mean! I look at pictures in magazines and my first thought is, where are the papers? Paper piles up for me, even in our nearly paperless society.

I have been on this site for a long time now and I've made great progress. To the point where I got rid of a large storage space (filled top to bottom, back to front). I've also greatly reduced things at my home to the point where for the last two years I've had cleaning ladies who come to my house every other week.

An yet, there's still too much stuff.

Any interest in heading over to the "what are you doing today" thread? We work on getting rid of stuff, asking decisions, etc. generally we recommend starting with the easy stuff to get rid of and it sounds like you have a good start of dining stuff to donate! The bottom line, for me, was to realize I own too much stuff. But it took me a long time to get there. And I had my ups and downs along the way.

Please join us in the other thread! It is active and we talk about our days and our progress and our lack of progress, etc. I'm continually making decisions about what to keep/donate/recycle. Even with all the progress I've made, I still need the help of my friends here. So welcome!

Hello. I have been trying to sort through all my stuff, donate what I don't need, and throw out expired things and junk. I would say about 10 or 15% of what I sort goes out the door to donate or trash. But that's not enough. I find myself trying to keep reorganizing. Like maybe I can put things in a box and stick it under my bed so my room looks neater. Or fill a Rubbermaid tub and put it in the garage. Seriously most of what I own, I like or do intend to use at some point, or I wouldn't have bought it! So that makes it hard. If I throw it out then I will have to buy it again when I need it...

Anyway, when I go into people's houses I am kind of astounded at the lack of stuff. Like, a living room with just a bookshelf and maybe a few pictures. And then their bedroom is all clutter free with just a closet and a couple dressers. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Where do people keep their stuff if they don't have lots of closets or a garage full of tubs??

For example I am in my (recently decluttered) living room and I look around. I have:
2 bookshelves of books, a few pictures and some ceramics my kids made for me
a TV stand with the TV and DVD player and video game consoles on it
2 wall shelves with photos and more ceramics and paintings my kids gave me
a shelf full of DVDs
a filing cabinet with an old printer on it and the dehumidifier on it
an end table with the new printer, a box of markers, paper, dog grooming brushes and nail clippers etc
a dog kennel with piles of books on it for my grandchild (don't fit on the shelf)
end tables with lamps, remotes, a space heater, phones, toys for the grandchild

So that would be bad enough but then scattered around the room are these things. What I want to know is WHERE DO NORMAL PEOPLE PUT THESE THINGS?
basket of dog toys
fan for the window
blanket and throw pillows
box of books someone gave me that I need to sort
laundry basket with light fixture, cords, odds and ends
box of video games and controllers
bucket full of loose change
cat toys sitting around, and a bottle of catnip
puzzles

Then on the dining room table are piles of stuff. In my bedroom are boxes of stuff. I already cleaned out my closets and threw away 1/3 of what was in there and I still have no empty space to put anything away.

How does this work?? Do people literally have NO STUFF? That thought makes me anxious. Is there a way to do this without just boxing it up and putting it under beds and in the garage?