I see this thread hasn't been used in a while but I really like using it.

It's so hard to not buy stuff for the dog! And I have a really hard time getting rid of his ratty toys and old bones when he gets a new bone. I imagine it makes him sad if I throw them away. From now on I need to be mindful about getting rid of items when new items come in. And that he really doesn't need new stuff all the time.

Ugh, also office supplies. Every time I'm out I want to buy them. Nope nope nope, don't need. I bought some plastic report covers with the intention of bringing my resume to interviews but then they ended up buried in my closet and ruined.

Don't have anything to add to this list, but I love it! Being accountable for what I bring into the house is as helpful as checking in about what I take out.

Thank you for starting this!

I needed some new Summer dresses and today I found two that I really like at the charity thrift shop. :)
Paid eight dollars total for the two dresses.
Also bought a very large scented candle for a dollar.
OK, I really needed the dresses and the candle makes me happy.

When I enter the shop know what I need.
It's easy for me because I don't have too much of anything.
I look at all the super nice/cheaply priced stuff but if I don't need it right now, I don't buy it.
When I do buy something I then have to get rid of a similiar type item I already own.
Knowing something must go if I buy another really helps keep me from impulse buying.
Last Autumn I already tossed some loved but worn out dresses, so I'm good. ;)

I bought a new purse today. One of my upcoming projects is to get rid of all my purses that are worn or otherwise ready to get the boot. So as long as I go through with that I don't feel bad about this purchase.

I also bought a new shower curtain and liner because I noticed while cleaning that we could use one. Hooked it up to the curtain rings and disposed of the old one when I got home.

While I was out I almost bought some paper organization things and a coupon folder but ended up putting them back. I decided to finish going through the last of the closet boxes to see if maybe I don't need this buy.

Thank you Tillie for your description of acquisitions and the feelings behind them. I bought some extra things I did not need yesterday, simply because I didn't not want to feel fear. I went to the Habitat restore and bought some fencing that was 6 feet tall and barely fit in my little car and I scratched the interior of car while cramming it in. I also bought more roofing nails, probably already have some, somewhere. Went to thrift store and bought 6 winter scarves for felting (that may never be used) a wool blanket, and some flannel. I really do not need any of these things right now, got it home, plopped all of it down and really saw how I still shop to avoid feelings, then the feelings of frustration jump up as soon as I bring the stuff home, and realize I have to deal with it, and there is no room for more stuff. After almost a year, of staying out of thrift stores except for a few slips, I still have it as my go to place to avoid feelings.

I bought a bunch of new underwear but I threw out as much as I brought in.

I am planning on buying a small organizer for coupons and gift cards and a binder or file folder for important papers. I haven't shopped for these items yet because for some reason I am a sucker for office supplies. I want to make sure I don't over acquire.

Not all of them Karl :)
This is mainly a place to note what we bring home so that we can see where we may be acquiring too much stuff.
A way to open our eyes and admit to ourselves that this type of acquiring is not getting us to our goals of reducing the clutter in our lives.
When we openly admit that yes, we did bring home more things that have no place to be properly stored, that we really have no use for right now
we can begin to see the bigger picture as to how our homes got so cluttered in the first place.
We can also recognize what triggers got us to splurge on acquiring this new stuff.
"It was free, it was on sale, I was bored/lonely, depressed, sad/mad, I deserve it, etc."
I have bought stuff this month. Since I don't have too much stuff, my rule is that with every new thing that comes in, something I have must go away, except for food type stuff and a few other exceptions.
I bought some fabric remnants and am using them for quilts I am making and will be using for years to come.
I like finding pocket knives. They are very useful. We use our pocket knives every day.
The one I use most often was found in a parking lot. It was new, never used but had had soda pop spilled all into it and was impossible to open until I cleaned it up. :)

WTG! Karl :D

I picked up a discarded pocket knife that seems to be in reasonably good condition, though it needs some cleaning.

I am in the process of buying a lot of new clothes. Hopefully I will stay on task and remember that I am REPLACING and not adding. I've finished with my socks and threw out all of the old.

Shopping can be a slippery slope but at the same time I have a problem not buying things that I should buy. I am 28 and still have a lot of clothing from middle and high school. Some I wear and some is just hanging around. Really trying to employ the whole "new in, old out" philosophy.

My neighbors brought me a gift.
A 2 1/2 inch tall blown glass winged dragon.
It looks like a beautiful jewel.
Blue/red/purple glass with a frosting of gold.
:D

packaging for fragile ornaments $1.79
Christmas tree topper $1.49
silk flowers for Valentines day $3.48
fake plant $5.99

Got dressed and put on my
Steri-clean 1-800-HOARDERS
hooded sweat shirt :D
I bought a cat toy. New still in the box. A motorized weasle attached to a ball that moves around the room. Very annoying but the cats all look at it. 2.00
Bought a silk blouse and a pashmina scarf. 1.00
Bought a large fabric remnant for a sewing project I'm working on. .50
Spent a total of 3.50 today.
Mr Hoarder bought "stuff" and at least three telephones.
I quit looking.
At least he didn't buy any more clothes. He already has lots of clothes he never wears, mostly because they don't fit because he buys strange sizes. He can't resist those clothing bag sales where you get to fill a bag full of clothes for only 3.00.
Went to the grocery store and I bought lots of fresh produce and more almond milk.
He bought lots of stuff there.

He did buy less stuff than usual.
I plan to wear my Steri-Clean 1-800-HOARDERS sweat shirt every time now until the weather warms up. ;D
hahahahaha

Went to ACE hardware for de-icer windshield wash and to replace an outdoor flag holder that was run over when my housesitter decided to let his friends ride our brand new scooter (which I bought to save money on gas) and crash it into the flag holder and ultimately our brick house. Scooter is trashed and no $$ to get it fixed. Scooter cost $3,000 and I just started paying on it. Have insurance but afraid to make a claim because last time I made a claim, my insurance company dropped me and it cost me TRIPLE to replace the insurance. :(
THESE types of events are what take the wind out of my sails... yea, yea stuff happens but when you are already in a funk.... grrrrr

Anyway,
Bought the flag holder, got a new flag for free with coupon, got a bunch of disposable dusters, Swiffer refills, etc. Usually, I deplore the environmental impact of disposables but am trying to make it easy for me to make progress in the house quickly. As I declutter, of course I come across a lot of dust.

Bought dry skin soap for dogs (to replace bottle almost out)

Bought three bottles of bleach (need 10 bottles to open pool in early March and was on sale.

3 bottles of laundry detergent. (I REFUSE to pay more than $1.99 per bottle)

Foam brush paint applicators - two packages (I am OCD about keeping the baseboards and trim in the house freshly painted. Esp baseboards dinged by vacuum cleaner)

Smoke detector for rented room

So... where I get into trouble is going into a thrift store for something I really do need.

Last night I went into the thrift store for a lamp for my bedroom. My bedroom has no overhead light at all. I keep breaking my lamps for that room because when I go to turn on the light in the dark, I constantly knock them over. I have MS and am very uncoordinated. Breaking things, falling on them etc is a way of life.

So, I went into the thrift store to find a lamp and found one that has a wide base and won't fall over so easy for $8.00.

I bought a nautical picture that I had been hoping to find for three years now... Made myself wait until I found one reasonably priced. This is framed for $.62. One nail and it will be up.

A note card box to keep return address labels and stamps. (they are small and I constantly kept losing them).

A leather rollup tool-case for the scissors I keep in my purse (that kept ripping the inside of my purses)

A small leather coin purse to keep coins (since the coin purse section of my wallet keeps popping open.)

A small pyrex oven/microwave bowl with matchding glass lid (since my daughter's friends broke 9 out of my 10 piece set this past summer).


But then... I looked around some more...
I picked up a few sweatshirts since my daughter "borrows" mine all the time.
We keep our house cold to save on heating $$.
The two I found at the thrift store were brand new with store tags, but I made myself put them back down: Told myself to make do with the 4 or 5 I already have.

And lastly, is the item I didn't really need:
A purse size devotional/prayer book for mothers. I struggle with my daughter's anger and disrespect and have been melting down a lot lately. I will use this prayer-book often for solace. Even though I don't have a lot of books (about 20 total), I should look and see if I could get rid of one of the 20 to replace the one I bought.

So, I will task myself to:
*put each one of these items in their useful spots,
*purge a book in exchange for the one I will use. *Throw out the broken lamp instead of thinking I will repair it one day.
*donate a bowl or some kitchen item I don't use anymore
*hang the picture

Will report back soon :)

Went shopping yesterday.
Bought food for me & some canned cat food & a bag of kitten chow for Scooter.
Also visited the thrift shop.
Bought a new pair of black denim Levis for 1.50
a sweet little blouse
some fabric to make a quilt with since I now have a sewing machine
a bag of quilt batting
glass pumpkin (paper weight?)
2 small scented candles and 3 tiny bottles of essential oils
I make my own potpourri & sachets from flower petals I collect all summer long
a pair of silver & peridot earrings
3 packages of hot glue gun glue sticks, for gluing wood
a tiny bag of wooden bowls, assorted sizes, just the perfect size for the doll house kitchen.

Can't you return the shoes for a refund?

I still have a cake in the fridge, and 3/4 loaf of garlic bread to use up; I've also just realized that I have pot luck style social events on Friday and on Saturday, so I might even have a food deficit instead of a surplus.

Hi Leesa :)
If staying in your jammies all day helps keep you from shopping then do that. :D
And as Diane said, shop at home, find buried treasures you already own.
Hang in there. :)

Karl,
can some of the guests take home some of the left over food?
That's how many hosts/hostesses reduce the amount of food in their fridge after hosting a party. ;)

Leesa,all summer I worked on hoard and was afraid to get in car, knowing I was addicted to garage sales, and spending hours looking through others junk, when had to face my own piles of stuff. Going cold turkey is best method, and focus on shopping in your hoard for forgotten valuables!!! Now I am grateful every time I find a useful item in my hoard, almost as much fun as garage sale. Please continue to do your best to stay away from garage sales, you can do this, you did today!!!

I have a slight food surplus at the moment, possibly more so after tonight's event. We'll see whether I can use it all up before it spoils.

Hi there... I am very new to this thread, but I love the idea that you have all created a thread where we post things that we purchase to help take responsibility, as well as accountablility...
Well here it goes: Yesterday I wnet apple picking at a huge farm in NJ, mind you I do not have children and I only live with my boyfriend, so its just the two of us...

10 lbs of apples that I picked myself
1 huge homemade blueberry pie
6 apple cider donuts freshly baked :)
1 package of apple crisp mix
I small pumpkin bread

Then we went to store called 5 below and I bought more items:

Animal print pens
a scarf
pajama pants
hair bands (when I have them all over my house and really didn't need any more)
box of peanut chews candy
box of snow caps candy

Went to dinner and had a cheeseburger and French fries and onion rings..

Although I ate most of it, I insisted on bringing the French fries and onion rings home... It will be probably stay in the refrigerator just like all the other food I bring home from resturaunts that I always bring home and never throw away or eat... :(
All the while I kept thinking "oh I can't wait to hit a flea market or a garage sale or two tomorrow (meaning today)... Today is the day I was supposed to face my hoarding issues..

So far I have looked through ten pieces of mail and wrote on the pages of the support group for hoarders... I refuse to get dressed today because I am afraid if I do, I'll just run out to a garage sale and hoard more stuff.... :( My boyfriend is very upset woith me and makes it know that I always run away from the house and leave him with the hoarding issues...

Today I bought some shampoo and conditioner.
Aveeno for dry scalps.
My skin has become terribly dry and I can put lotion on all the other parts except my head.
Really hope this shampoo helps fix the dryness on my head. :(

Also bought...
lotion
peroxide
kitty litter
kibble
cat snacks
almonds
bananas
pomegranites
sweet potatoes
fresh ginger root

:)
Off to wash my hair now.

I was given a really pretty dress that fits me perfectly. :)

Hi :)
Been a while since I went shopping & bought anything.
Yesterday I bought...
kitty litter
canned cat food
cat snacks
sewing machine needles
lots of fruits & veggies
cereal
almond milk
butter
eggs
tootsie pops
3 cans of tomatoes, sauce/diced/crushed
baby powder
scouring cleanser
angel hair pasta
tea

And keeping it honest here I also went to the thrift shop and bought...
a long sleeve knit shirt with a ghost embroidered on it to were around Halloween and
a 35 inch long strand of amethyst stone beads.
Spent a total of 6 dollars there.

Thank you Dianne
(((hugs)))
you are so right about his actions killing parts of my soul.

I picked up a few children's books from a "free" pile after a garage sale had ended. I believe I know someone who could use them.

Saturday I paid 28 cents for a pumpkin :D

How exciting, new sewing machine!!! I still have my singer I bought in 1966 for my sewing class in high school!!! I have newer one that doesn't work as well as old one. Looking forward to sewing this winter when craft room is clean and organized. Will be fun to hear what you sew Tillie.

Thank you Roxie :D

Really wish I had a camera.
This kitten does some of the cutest things.
He really is a character. :)
Today I went out with the butterfly net and caught him some little brown grasshoppers.
He was hopping all around the diningroom on his hind legs "playing" with them. HaHa

I used to have a sewing machine, one my Father gave me when I was 18 years old.
Back before I decluttered the inside of my house the only place for me to keep it was in a corner of the garage.
My hoarder gave it away with a lot of my other stuff because he said it was in his way. :(

I used to sew a LOT, but without a sewing machine I only sewed a few things by hand.
I totally quit mending and altering any of his clothing after he gave away my sewing machine.
Won't even sew a button on for him now.

Yesterday my neighbor came over to visit and told me about her new sewing machine. Very nice one. :)
But she also then gave me her other sewing machine that is also a very very nice one. :D

I have a sewing machine again!!!
After so many many years!!! :D

I still will not sew anything for him ever ever again. :P

Went grocery shopping yesterday...
Bought grapes, bananas, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, salad mix, onions, raisin bran, cat snax, chocolate chips, chai tea, raisins, almond milk, frozen veggies, kitten chow, graham crackers, honey, febreeze air freshner, T.P., cinnamon sticks and a can of PikNik shoestring potatos.

At the thrift shop next door to the grocery store I bought a leaded crystal jar with lid.
Have that all washed up and filled with wintergreen life savers sitting in the livingroom where I can see it. :D

Forgot to add that I also bought a cute little stuffed toy animal for the kitten.
A white bunny that washed up in the washing maching and looks so nice now.
The kitten loves it and carries it around in his mouth. :D

Yesterday (Saturday) we bought some pipe insulation, some brackets and some other hardware type stuff needed for preparing for the winter and freezing and all that.
Then he insisted we stop in at a thrift shop.
OK since I was in there any way I looked around and bought....
A really beautiful black blouse with tags still on it for .25
5 tiny bottles of name brand very expensive perfume marked at .25 cents but were half price.
About a million assorted colors of translucent seed beads that I am using to make beaded curtains for the doll house for 1.00

Only listing all my frivilous purchases here to keep honest to the thread. ;D

Yesterday I purchased...
a weeks worth of food for me and bought NO junk food ;D
kitten chow
kitty litter

Went to the thrift shop and bought
6 dish drying towels (I needed some new ones)
a lapis stone pendant on a sterling silver chain (1.00)
a sachet of lavender buds

DH bought gardening supplies, he'll probably use them:

2 small flats of flowers

one mini rake [we have no rakes currently]

one plastic watering can [could use hose]

one bow saw [have only keyhole saw, not even handsaw]

work gloves [I have some "somewhere" - not helpful]

Good: I did not buy plastic cups, instead challenged myself to locate and use ones that are in storage.

Yesterday I bought...

Groceries
Mop pads
Dog food
Air freshener
Flea spray
Sponges

and I returned a vacuum that wasn't good enough and a large air matress I don't need!!!

Thank goodness for this where, it really helps me to see what i am doing.

Saturday I bought...
1 pair of jeans
2 dresses
1 cashmere sweater
2 dinner plates (microwaveable)
1 tiny bottle of perfume
1 shower curtain
cat snacks
fruit & other assorted food items
1 bag of dill pickle flavored potato chips ( they are addictive)

I am in the midwest and too far away to help. But we are always here on the site to offer encouragement when you need it. I understand about bringing more "stuff" home. It is hard to see other people throwing away new and unused things. Stay strong. I, too, live in a very small house with no attic, no basement, no storage shed. I always have to ask myself "Do I really need this? Where am I going to put it? What am I willing to give up to bring this in the house?"
Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. We are with you in spirit.

Judy, I'm too far north of you for meeting in person, but we often buddy system simultaneous cleaning sessions using the online chat -- maybe that would help for you, too.