Do you live with a packrat?

[Costumesaremylife]

Yes, DH is a packrat. I'll put it this way: when we moved 2000 miles in May, we couldn't bring our living room furniture because we had to make room in the U-Haul for DH's old VHS tapes. And we don't have a VCR.

It's unfortunate that those tapes didn't fall off the back of the truck. I can't believe you couldn't bring your furniture!!

 

[mfd25wife]

Yes, DH is a packrat. I'll put it this way: when we moved 2000 miles in May, we couldn't bring our living room furniture because we had to make room in the U-Haul for DH's old VHS tapes. And we don't have a VCR.

I thought mine was bad!!!!

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

I'm the packrat.
But I'm getting better.

 

[AngieBelle]

Sure, I live with a packrat...

I live by myself...

I'm terrible, absolutely terrible. Some of it is genuine attatchment to things, some of it is just laziness. I like tangible memories so anything connected to a good memory, I don't want to give up. And then I have things that I don't really want to keep but aren't likely to be sold or accepted at good will, but I don't want them thrown out and taking up space in a landfill. Yeah, silly, I know.

 

[Northstar]

Yes, I live with a packrat.

How bad? Two whole rooms of our house are totally devoted to storing his stuff. And now the stuff is creeping out into the rest of the house, because hey, he doesn't want to spend time in those overcrowded dusty rooms... he needs the stuff he's actually using to be piled up on the kitchen table, beside the piano in the living room, on top of one of my few bookcases...

We have boxes of old newspapers and magazines that he moved 15 years ago to this house, and I swear he's never looked at them again. That's one thing he has got better about (thank you, internet)... he now throws out newspapers/magazines regularly, figuring he can always find stuff online.

We never fight about money or respect or family. We fight about stuff, about territory issues, and about cleaning!

Yep, he's a packrat... but I guess he's my packrat.

 

[pppiglet]

Ok. I live with two major packrats, my DH and my DD. I have no problem in weeding out DD's things especially since most items I purchased, or they fall in the trash category she just can't seem to let go. However, I'm not so sure about DH. He keeps EVERYTHING! For example, he had 43 t-shirts at last count, and way too many magazines and old old catalogs. I feel like I'm drowning in stuff. I have had friends tell me that they would slowly throw things out or donate them where it wasn't very noticable . Have you ever done this with your SO's things?

You must be living with my DH! I KNOW mine has at least 43 T-shirts (if not more) He has them stored in boxes since high school of his favorite bands and things. And the magazines, catalogs and junk mail that he's never even opened sits around for a few weeks, then I throw it in a basket to hide it from guests and then when the basket get too high and overflowing, I take the stuff from the bottom that's a year old (mind you he has never even opened it) and I toss it and he never knows.

 

[pppiglet]

I've tried and tried to talk to him, but he does not understand that it truly stresses me to walk in and see stuff thrown everywhere. He thinks I just don't like it. I've tried to explain that I truly physically feel the stress build up. Maybe the screaming would work. I would try just about anything at this point. I'm slightly OCD. I'm not bad enough to be medicated, but I hate hate stuff that never gets touched just laying around "just in case". His dad actually gave him some open bottles of whisky. He doesn't even drink whisky but he won't throw it out. His dad is not deceased or I might even understand that. I'm weird in that I like to clean, but I get so frustrated trying to find homes for everything. The clutter is draining. I'm working on him on his jackets. His dad gave him some jackets that are not in the best shape. He won't wear them, but I found where he was stashing them. He said he was saving them for his DS (who is 15, and no where close to being able to fit in them). I asked him why he thought DS would want to wear them in 10yrs or so if he didn't want to wear them now . Part of our problem is that we not only have things he has bought, but his dad will not throw anything away. He brings it to DH . Our garage is full, our closets are full, our shop is full, etc..

My DH must have a long lost twin! You should see our garage and closets! And the jacket thing....he's got lots of weird jackets taking up so much closet space and never wears them and won't let me get rid of them! I hear ya on the frustrated thing! After 25 years together, I've learned to ignore it. I just don't invite anyone over to visit!