Returning, Reusing, Repairing, Donating and Recycling are turning me into a Pack Rat!

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Does anyone else have this problem? I’m trying to return, reuse, repair, donate and recycle as much waste as possible but it ends up just sitting in my cellar or cluttering my house.

I have bottles that can be returned to the store but I don’t know who takes them so they sit in my hall.

We have all kinds of containers, boxes, craft ‘ideas’ that sit around all over the place that I never put to use. I should really just suck it up and recycle these things.

I have toys and clothes that we don’t want anymore but they’re borderline garbage so they sit around.

I realize there isn’t much of a solution but I wanted to vent. Does anyone have a similar problem?

[UUMom]

I'm not a packrat, but I do have a couple of small baskets for craft supplies. i won;t keep more than that. I have a box in my hall closet for items that I think friends or relatives might like, and I have a box for Goodwill stuff. When they are full, I put them in my trunk. Then when i am out, I drop them off. Sometimes I put the Good will one in my dh's trunk. : He doesn't like stuff in his car, so will swing around Goodwill with it.

We recycle everything-- cans, bottles, cardboard boxes etc. We have some curbside recycling, but it won't take everything. My dh and kids do a dump ruun twice a month so it doesn't pile up. If there is a dump recycling program in your city or town, they will take all those bottles. Check your phonebook right now.

I would say that today, put everything in your car and go to Goodwill. If the toys are broken beyond repair, or are dangerous, put them in a trash barrel right now. I do do donate toys that need small repairs, and even games with missing dice. Those things are easy to replace, and i have bought scrabble games at Goodwill, fi, to try and replace lost letter tiles. You never know what's someone's treasure.

Now- go. I'm waiting to hear how you do. No , seriously, go load your car.

[melissa17s]

Count me in! We are packrats here. I have a hard time letting go of anything that may be useful or fun for a creative use in the future.

[UUMom]

So you're saying that while i've been away, you didn't put some junk in your car? :LOL

[Ruthla]

I look at it this way: If I give this away, somebody else can use it. If it stays in my house collecting dust, shoved in a closet where it might get leaked on, squashed, or otherwise ruined, it's being wasted.

I like FlyLady's idea of "blessing your home" by getting rid of clutter and "blessing somebody else" with the treasures (your former clutter.)

[root*children]

I found when we lived in a city and had a basement, we were packrats. But now we're in a little cabin, and have about zero storage space. What storage space we do have is consumed by bulk-bought foods and ebay/mailing supplies. We moved here and were continuing our packrat habits and after about a year, discovered we were all miserable. The house was always looking messy, the kids didn't enjoy their toys (or have much room to really play with them). We did major decluttering.

Freecycle.org really helped with that. Your trash can REALLY be someone else's treasure! People will even come to your house to pick it up!! You don't have to do any work besides posting what you have. We've given away totally broken things with the understanding that they needed help, and people still want them!
But ah! It feels good to have a simplified house! Just do it. Get rid of anything that's collecting dust and you've forgotten you even had. You don't need it.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

I’m on it! I’ve got my car filled and am driving around when I’m out thinking of places that would want the stuff. The city takes clothes and I found a recycling center that I think can help me with some broken toys and stuff. I realized the library would want my books and I thought the LLL would like some nice toys and parenting books!

Thanks for inspiring me!

Oh, and I’ve stopped saving things that I only “tell myself” that I’m going to reuse. I’ve also stopped taking other people’s stuff that they want to get rid of ‘just because I have the room’.

Life is looking up.




Mama4 ~ you are cracking me up!

[UUMom]

That's great, ICM! It feels good, huh? I am glad you are taking my 'bossiness' in the spirit i am writing. Sometimes all i need is someone to encourage me. It's a big ole world and it's nice if folks are supportive. Even people you don't actually know. :LOL

[tessamami]

I can't recycle

Just don't have the energy, and the space to store - tiny apt. but I do 27 flings like crazy.

I do a great job of recycling DDs clothes - what the consignment shop won't take, I use for rags - what doesn't make for rags I throw out. Problem solved.