Inspired by the midlife crisis thread - Are you a "stuff" person?

[froglady]

Both DH and I are "stuff" people, but we keep different "stuff."

I tend to accumulate clothes and decorations. He accumulates paper. He will NOT get rid of his medical journals, some of which date back 30 YEARS! I have dozens of plastic magazine boxes full of them, and have finally rented a storage unit for them. I once asked him how long I had to keep them, and he said "Until I'm dead." He also has patient sheets that cover the same time frame, which makes sense because of our litigious society. My SMIL still gets calls from lawyers from time to time, and FIL has been dead for almost 20 years.

But yes, I'm trying to declutter, especially since my children are also "stuff" collectors.

 

[disykat]

I am not a stuff person - to the point where I dread getting gifts because it's just more stuff. I've tried telling people not to give me gifts, but they persist. I can't even get my dh trained to believe I don't want stuff!

 

[leighe]

I love stuff! I have always collected dolls and I also love to buy books and shoes and makeup. Poor DH - he isn't a stuff person at all. To me his family is almost monastic they have and care so little for stuff and my MIL thinks I am Paris Hilton. You should have seen the look on her face the first time she and FIL helped us move!

 

[Brianne]

Not a stuff person.

We have two walk-in closets in the master bedroom, obviously a his-and-hers situation. We share one closet (and still have empty shelves in there), while the other one is used for storage (for things like our vacuum cleaner) and linens. The house has two linen closets, but on the exact opposite ends of the house, and there's no coat closet. Whoever designed this house was an idiot.

I'm always surprised by the collections that some people seem to have---and then I start to wonder how long it takes them to dust it all.

 

[NMAmy]

Could you get rid of the musical bank from Tarzan or the entire collection of Alice in Wonderland beanies? I think not!

Sure, I could. Want me to come over? I'm ruthless that way.

 

[LvsTnk]

Sure, I could. Want me to come over? I'm ruthless that way.

You could if you promise I wouldn't see it on e-bay

 

[ElizaB39]

I think I am half stuff and half non stuff.

I have a lighted house and accessories collection that I put up at Christmas (D56) and also have the resin All Through the House line (also D56). I probably have better than 100 pieces total between these two collections, small to large. I no longer buy these for myself but my mother buys me one piece for bday and one for Christmas. When we moved last Feb I went through all closets and storage boxes and brought 20 bags of clothing to Goodwill. I periodically go through DS and DD closets and purge and donate (to friends). Magazines are out after two months. The kids sell toys they no longer play with at a semi annual consignment sale. I sell some better kid clothing at this sale as well. The kids use their money to buy new things they want for themselves.

I decorate with candles and pictures. I do like art and have some really unique pieces but they are throughout the house. i.e. one large wall has one large art piece. Lots of blank wall space.

I like to buy things, but as a treat, not as a general rule.

 

[CathrynRose]

This is inspired by something that came up in the "midlife crisis" thread. Are you a "stuff" person? By that, I mean do you like to buy "stuff," have "stuff" in your home, store stuff, etc.? I am definitely not a stuff person. I like to be rid of stuff because I can't stand clutter.

I don't like shopping, and I don't buy a lot of stuff that we don't need. I do buy necessities/consumables of course, but even that shopping is mostly done on Ebay. We've lived here for almost a year and I've yet to set foot inside the mall The only non-necessities that I even care to buy are candles from Yankee Candle (after XMas sale) and high-end clothing (usually gently-used) from Ebay. I find that I like having "stuff" around less and less as time goes on, too. I'm not sentimental at ALL, so storing "stuff" is out of the question. If can't consume it and otherwise don't need it, it goes. So, what about you? Do you like "stuff"?

I love *stuff* - particularly girly stuff (i.e. perfume, makeup, I have shampoo's and conditioners to last through a nuclear war!)

But you peaked my interest .... Yankee Candle has an after Holiday's sale??? Like what?!?!?

 

[NMAmy]

You could if you promise I wouldn't see it on e-bay

You wouldn't catch me anywhere near Ebay--that's SHOPPING. I've donated all dd's old stuffed animals to our local police department--they give them out to kids who have been through a trauma of some kind. I've given others to a shelter for battered women. I'm a big donator.

I let dd keep about 5 of her favorites (and that child had 4 BIG BOXES of stuffed animals) and the rest were given to help others. Plus I don't have to move them again.

 

[LvsTnk]

LOL! I am not an e-bay person either!!!

I donate to the Juvinile Diabetes Assoc. here.

But all my "stuff' seems to be Disney related so maybe one day I will be able to part with it. Do you believe I have the placemats my kids colored form thier first trips

 

[Saphire]

No stuff for me! I always make the mistake of throwing things away that we later need or are looking for...even bills sometimes, lol. I hate clutter. My handbag is so small people laugh at me, but it has everything I need in it. The only thing I have too much of is lipstick, I love lipstick! But it doesn't take up that much space, so it's OK.

 

[chrissyk]

I love *stuff* - particularly girly stuff (i.e. perfume, makeup, I have shampoo's and conditioners to last through a nuclear war!)

But you peaked my interest .... Yankee Candle has an after Holiday's sale??? Like what?!?!?

Well, last year they had a lot of their holiday-ish scents for 50% off after XMas (maybe around New Years' if memory serves me). I stocked up on the large jar candles of Peppermint Cocoa, Buttered Rum, and some other scents that I can't recall offhand, all for 50% off. Also, the website ran the same sale, and I think that I was able to combine some online coupon codes and either free or very cheap shipping. It was great! YC is one of the only things that I do stock up on, but we use them up very fast around here.

 

[Crankyshank]

DH and I are both stuff people, but he's much more so. I buy things that mean something and hold on to it. Things like makeup, perfume, and lotions I tend to purge every year by giving them away.

We do have a lot of books and I can't really bear the thought of getting rid of any of them - it's like giving away an old friend. Eventually I'm going to have to put them in storage or something because our tiny house barely fits us, the dogs, and the fish. I can't imagine adding a child to the mix.