Decluttering

[cory]

I have an innate drive to keep things spare and minimal yet at the same time I have a hard time discarding stuff that seemingly could be useful. So over time, I find things that are in perfect condition and potentially useful adding up yet absolutely never used. So I'm doing a bit of a clean out to get back to less than more.

Examples of perfect stuff never used: hydraulic pole pruner. Bike maintainence stand. Wire fencing rolls. Styrofoam packing materials, both sheets and blocks. Dog bowls. Badmitten set and net. 1/2" climbing rope scraps less than 15' length. Marracas. Mint condition rugs. 450' of unused 3/4" double braid bull rope. Also lots of old saw bars ready for new tips (but why bother).

And same with my bucket truck- I keep the tools and gear closely vetted yet I still have, for example, a few rope slings of various sizes that are literally never used yet my thinking is, Ooooo, I could put these to good use sometime.

I use a 1 year destroy date on a lot of stuff but other stuff I should probably use a 2 or 3 year D date- if untouched in that time period, then see ya no matter how useful it might seem to be at some future date in some future situation that likely will never come to pass.

Also I hate it when I need something and don't realize I already posses it (neatly stored away) so I go out and buy it only to find later that yeah nah.

Anyone else relate to this?

 

[BlackSmith]

I thought I was the only one.

 

[Tree09]

I save wayyyyyyy too much stuff. I think my kids can sort it when I'm dead lol.

 

[Burnham]

I see me in this thread, my friend .

 

[stikine]

This is going to be ugly... please don't make me take pictures of the stuff I save for the future.

 

[SkwerI]

I agree with everything except destroying ropes after one year. I still have the 120' climbing rope I bought just after buying my first bucket truck 17 years ago. It's stored in a bag and has about 50-60 days of use, and is in 95% new condition. I also have made many dozens of slings for rigging use in the bucket truck and they get used until they are damaged. I have had ropes fail due to overloading (shock loads) but have never had a rope fail simply because it was old.

Back on topic- A year after selling my business I still have tons of stuff stashed away that I was saving for 'one day'. My plan is to sell or give it away to guys still working who can use it.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm a packrat. I save everything of even marginal utility. I don't want to ever buy anything I already had.

 

[Altissimus]

Save stuff , 'cause you never know

 

[pigwot]

Old U2 servers, old rope scraps, tons of hardware… moving three years ago and building the new shop has forced me to sort and organize and get rid of a lot of it. Have to make room for new toys. Just got this floor model mortiser a few days ago.

 

[Mick!]

I love chucking stuff out.

We had to clear my parents house after my mum died and dad had to go to assisted care, it cured me of keeping hold of stuff ‘in case’

If I have to buy stuff again, so be it.

 

[murphy4trees]

my grandfather was a multi millionaire. he spent the last few years of his life sleeping in the guest room because his bedroom was too full to walk in. you'd never know it from downstairs.

I definitely have a tendency to collect way too much stuff. it's especially damaging when I can't find things because the clutter. But all the stuff takes mental energy, slows me down, hurts creativity and self esteem.

I've got issues. always been that way. guessing it's from a former life in the Irish famines

 

[SeanKroll]

A cost for keeping, and a cost for getting rid of, and possibly re-buying.

 

[flushcut]

I will plead the 5th. I can neither confirm nor deny any of these alleged accusations pertaining to this thread.

 

[cory]

I went through a bunch of stuff.

Again, it's not a question of cleaning out junk, its a Q of keeping or discarding perfect condition yet un-used stuff.

What the MIck and Sean said make a lot of sense.

One junky thing I kept: my first ever saddle and first bucket harness, both trashed from use, will absolutely never be used again, but Waaaaahow can I toss them?

 

[cory]

Found out I was extremely rich in old rake handles

 

[ruel]

We blow through handles before rake heads, I'd Take a few next time your up in Maine if you haven't chucked em Already

 

[ruel]

And I've been on a tear of getting rid of stuff I haven't used in more than 2 years. It's liberating and lightening

 

[pantheraba]

Take those rake handles and sister them up to an existing rake. I've cable tied an extra handle to a rake and I have not broken one in a long time now.

 

[lumberjack]

This is entirely relatable to me... mainly from my parents and mainly dad. I'm glad I have a 30 yard hook lift container to help with the cleanup 😂

 

[Tree09]

I want to see your double ended rake technique. Twigs cower in fear....

 

[flushcut]

Like a kayak oar.
One pic of my scrap/drops bucket will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[pantheraba]

hahaha...NOT a double ended rake...a doubled up handle rake. I learned about it here at the House.

 

[cory]

MB did it that way iirc.

We blow through handles before rake heads, I'd Take a few next time your up in Maine if you haven't chucked em Already

I already cut up the wooden ones into kindling. I have a lot of fiberglass ones that are more or less unbreakable

 

[lxskllr]

If I was in charge of raking, I think I'd make my own handle out of a tree branch. You could make it a little fatter(I guess that's what doubled handles are for?), and utilize curvature for better positioning.

 

[FireFighterZero]

You will be eating your SUP board when the crash comes.


Who would get rid of maracas?