Fluff thread: Do you get rid of things just because you've tired of them, or do they have to become unusable first?

[Luv Bunnies]

It depends on what it is. For things we actually use, we replace them as they break or wear out. I really dislike clutter. When we downsized in 2019, we donated tons of perfectly good stuff that we just didn't need. We went from 5 bedrooms to 3. We also had a family room and a living room in our old house. The new one only has a living room. About half of the furniture had to go. We went through closets and discovered stuff that we hadn't used in 20 years of living in that house. I found perfectly good kitchen items in the cupboards that I simply never used and could see no reason to keep. We made countless trips to Goodwill with the usable stuff and put some in a pile for the hauling guy to take. It all felt very freeing! I really love that our new house is not cluttered. It's so much easier to keep clean without a bunch of "stuff" everywhere.

 

[fla4fun]

I was raised that you buy quality and you don’t replace unless it is no longer functional. I just replaced a 30 year old sofa last month. I buy furniture that is solid and plain, and then add a few accessories that wear out faster for color and style. My dishes are plain white Corelle that will probably last forever, and my flatware is a mix of my mom’s and my grandmother’s sets, in heavy stainless that will last forever too. Small kitchen appliances are used until they can’t be anymore. My clothes tend to be classic styles and colors as opposed to trendy items, so they can be used for a long time. The same with shoes.

I am not a hoarder, as I don’t have more than one of something, and when something quits working, I recycle or throw it away. I do tend to buy new, but with the idea that it’s going to be used for a long time. But I also don’t buy trendy things or replace something because it’s out of fashion or they have a “new and improved” model.

 

[Diznotyzed]

To my husband's chagrin, we tend to keep things til they're no longer usable. We have the luxury/trap of a lot of storage room in our basement. Our grandkids are now playing with some of our kids old toys. I saved some of our daughter's good quality baby clothes - like the dresses, and so far we only have grandsons. I did have the last laugh about our original kitchen table which sat in the basement for years, but now is the perfect thing in the apartment in the basement we just downsized into. Downsizing and the fact that my son-in-law manages a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store are helping me start to get rid of some things, but it's still hard for me.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I have a recurring bad habit of really getting into something, be it a hobby or a fandom or whatever, buying lots of stuff related to said new obsession, and then getting rid of it all when the obsession wears off. Case in point, two years ago or so I suddenly got into jewelry making. I bought beads and findings and wire, etc. I made all kinds of nice jewelry, don't get me wrong. I sold most of it, too. But then I got bored and the things I had bought no longer held any value to me. Currently, it's all in a closet under the basement stairs, but I'll probably get rid of it on the next Spring clean. Very bad.

 

[disykat]

I keep things until they no longer serve their function. Like others here, if I don't need/use it anymore I get rid of it. However if it's still something I need and it works, I keep it. The rare exception is if I really dislike it.

 

[kerry1379]

It kind of depends. If it is quality and lasts, I like it, and I have a need or use for it, I can keep it a very long time and wear it out. But I also will not hesitate to get rid of things I no longer want or need. The way I see it, everything has a "cost." Obviously there is the initial cost of buying it. But keeping it has a cost too-in the space it takes up, in maintanence, and if I have to keep needing to moving it to get to something else I am trying to find. Also, clutter stresses me out. So is it worth that cost to me? You have to determine if it is worth the cost to you. Oh, and I believe sentimental value is absolutely a valid reason to keep something too.

 

[Figment of Speech]

First they become unusable. Then I keep them around for eight or ten years with the intention of fixing them or suddenly becoming a crafter and turning them into something new. Then I pack for a move, discover the things in a remote corner of a little-used closet, and throw them out, vowing never to keep unusable stuff again.

Complete move, start nesting, accumulate lots of crap again, and start the cycle over.

 

[slo]

It depends on my state of mind.

Normally....I wait until something has worn out.

Other times...when I’m fed up with clutter and want to do some serious cleaning and organizing almost nothing is sacred - LOL! This happens about once a year in the winter when I’m stuck in the house and have the time to go through things.

 

[ksanftleben]

We and our daughter's family donate serviceable clothing, household goods, electronic gear, etc. all the time, either because it no longer fits, we no longer use it much, or we just want something new. About every two months, we haul a couple of large boxes and a few big bags to a nice, local charity thrift store where we used to volunteer. It supports a homeless shelter, food bank, and crisis intervention center; overwhelmingly for battered women and their kids.

 

[hsmamato2]

It depends..... A little of both...(my DH however is a saver of every little thing 'just in case') We tend to keep stuff until it's unusable or broken and can't be fixed. We also tend to buy used to replace things soooooo..... We replaced our 12 yo kitchen table last month- nothing wrong with it,solid as a rock but I needed a different shape for our room than back when we got it (covid times changed how we used our rooms too) so now DS uses our old dining table in his room/office for work, we got ours at Restore store,it's new to us! Clothes,sometimes (not too often) I get bored with what I have, buy more (thrifting) and donate the stuff I don't want.
My Dh on the other hand is still wearing a down coat his mom bought for in the 7th grade....(he's 53 now lol) and a lot of his clothes are 10 years old or more.
We have replaced our couches 4 times since we married.... for some reason nothing we buy,no matter the price point lasts beyond 5 years without looking nasty and worn out. I'm realllly hoping our last set (2 years ago) will last. (couches we buy new)
I have an instant pot bought recently,and also a 1970's era crockpot that I love still....

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If I am tired of something and it's still usable, it gets donated. Otherwise it gets thrown away.

 

[hsmamato2]

It depends on my state of mind.

Normally....I wait until something has worn out.

Other times...when I’m fed up with clutter and want to do some serious cleaning and organizing almost nothing is sacred - LOL! This happens about once a year in the winter when I’m stuck in the house and have the time to go through things.

hahaha same here! ANd it's a blessing that we have a small house....less room to clutter up!

 

[design_mom]

I'm more of a packrat than I would prefer to be.

I tend to buy quality items and keep them till they're unusable. However, sometimes that includes keeping things that I'll never use again. For instance, I have quite a few Christmas decorations that I've never put out in this house (and we've lived here 17 years). I just don't have a good place for them and I've been putting out fewer over the last few years anyway. However, I still really like them and they're good quality/condition and I can't seem to get rid of them.

Also, the "everyday" dishes that we got for our wedding (will be 25 years this summer) are in a box in our basement. When the kids were little, several pieces got broken, so we switched to Corelle and I boxed up the other dishes with the intent to bring them out again when the kids were older. The kids are 17 and 20 now... and those dishes are still in a box. But I've got the Corelle now and it's in good condition/serves us well and I can't see getting rid of that either. I probably ought to get rid of the old dishes, but I still LIKE them, they're still in good condition, etc. (My son will be getting his first apartment next year so maybe I'll end up giving it to him, but...maybe not as I'm not sure a bunch of college boys will take good care of it.)

 

[Kitty 34]

It depends on my state of mind.

Normally....I wait until something has worn out.

Other times...when I’m fed up with clutter and want to do some serious cleaning and organizing almost nothing is sacred - LOL! This happens about once a year in the winter when I’m stuck in the house and have the time to go through things.

I'm using this answer!

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm more of a packrat than I would prefer to be.

I tend to buy quality items and keep them till they're unusable. However, sometimes that includes keeping things that I'll never use again. For instance, I have quite a few Christmas decorations that I've never put out in this house (and we've lived here 17 years). I just don't have a good place for them and I've been putting out fewer over the last few years anyway. However, I still really like them and they're good quality/condition and I can't seem to get rid of them.

Also, the "everyday" dishes that we got for our wedding (will be 25 years this summer) are in a box in our basement. When the kids were little, several pieces got broken, so we switched to Corelle and I boxed up the other dishes with the intent to bring them out again when the kids were older. The kids are 17 and 20 now... and those dishes are still in a box. But I've got the Corelle now and it's in good condition/serves us well and I can't see getting rid of that either. I probably ought to get rid of the old dishes, but I still LIKE them, they're still in good condition, etc. (My son will be getting his first apartment next year so maybe I'll end up giving it to him, but...maybe not as I'm not sure a bunch of college boys will take good care of it.)

Simple solution is to give the kid the more indestructible Corelle, why you take the better stuff back out of the basement.

 

[design_mom]

Simple solution is to give the kid the more indestructible Corelle, why you take the better stuff back out of the basement.

I have definitely considered that. But, actually, I think I kind of prefer the Corelle. It's lightweight, durable, takes up less space in my cabinet. The "good stuff" is stoneware, and it's pretty. But it's also heavy, easier to chip, etc. That probably means its time to get rid of the stoneware, but it was a wedding gift... and... and... and... ;-)