You don’t have to be a problem hoarder to engage in hoarding or gathering too many items than you need. Of course, there’s no hard limit to how much you should own, meaning that it can be hard to draw the distinction that’s right for you. Someone living in a one-bed apartment is going to own less than someone with five properties, or at least, we would assume that’s the case.
But while the issue is relative, sometimes it’s easy to feel buried under how much you own even if your household is perfectly in place. Perhaps you’re tired of having a full garage, paying for those storage units, or having to fight through an assault course to get to your Christmas decorations (or put them away). All of this can be tiring to deal with, and maybe you want to downsize.
Yet what if you have a hard time letting things go? After all, we all know we might not need that spare toaster in the garage, but it’s not exactly irrational to have one in case your main stops working.
Well, in this post, we’’ll discuss some helpful measures to beat any hoarding or stockpiling tendencies. As a quick disclaimer, this guide is for individuals who keep a little more than they want or need, not those who require mental health assistance to help with advanced addictions to hoarding – talking to your doctor or a private therapist can always be helpful in those circumstances.
Calculate The Monetary Value
Nothing beats the urge to keep items on hand than knowing you could have a pretty penny in your bank account after selling most of them. For example, there’s usually a good market for old tech items, especially if you wish to sell iPhone 13 and other variants. Televisions often go for a good price too, because if they work, they work, and old CRT monitors and screens are something of a niche collector’s items now, especially for retro gamers.
The same can be said for selling your old clothes – sites like Vinted and Depop can give you a fair amount for old garments you rarely wear or that don’t fit as well anymore. There’s no point having all these old items boxed up in your basement or attic when they could earn you funds towards clothes you could enjoy now!
Have A Six Month Rule
If an item isn’t used, thought about, or moved in six months, with the exception of seasonal items or items you wish to keep for personal reasons, then it’s good to sell, donate or get rid of. That way, the small wooden chair that had broken you never fixed or used could be donated to a local woodworking business for them to use as reclaimed wood for another project.
Or, perhaps “that drawer” – you know the one most likely, can be cleared out and replaced with better items going forward. Beating hoarding tendencies is so much easier if you have something of a clock on the items you have with you. Now, you might not keep a log of all the belongings you have ticking down from the moment you purchased them, so a quick mental check to see if it’s been that long next time you think about it could be enough. It’s not an exact science but living by the principle can be enough.
Something Purchased, Something Replaced
It’s nice to move your old items once something new takes its place. So for example, if you buy a brand new television for your living room, then perhaps you can move your current living room TV to your bedroom. Then your bedroom TV can go to your kitchen. Then your kitchen TV can go to your child who may be renting an apartment elsewhere, or you can sell it.
It’s a nice balance to have this method, this way even if you have multiple of the same time, there’s always somewhere for the offshoots or oldest belongings to go. That in itself can be helpful with clothes too, as perhaps your fifth summer dress can be replaced once you buy a new one, instead of cramming your wardrobe to the point it will barely open.
Ask Yourself If You Really Need It
It’s not always clear if you should really need an item or not, but those with hoarding tendencies tend to like spending too. A tip we learn in childhood often applies here – if you still want it in a week or two, buy it then. If not, then leave it. Odds are you can save yourself some worry about space in this light.
Without further ado, we hope you can beat any hoarding tendencies in this way.
Image: Pexels – CC0 License
