Cleaning up and Cleaning Out

Are you a hoarder or do you keep just what you can use right now?

I fall somewhere in between these two categories.  I build up and accumulate 'stuff' then I get rid of ALL of it.  Since most of my stuff is secondhand to begin with, I don't mind parting with it or trading up to something better (usually because my DIY improvements go wrong-you know....those projects I don't blog about)  Drives my husband crazy when the dining room table gets bartered out for a new one or the living room furniture is suddenly all sold on Craigs List...

I wait for my family to leave the house then secretly get rid of their stuff as well.  My husband is quite a softie when it comes to rescuing things for our daughters that I've gotten rid of.  In fact, things have returned secretly back to the house that I've gotten rid of on so many occasions, it is now a joke.  Until my mother-in-law moved in with us a couple of years ago, I thought my husband was taking all of the bags to be donated but he was stashing them in his moms garage-even taking the furniture there.  When I was packing up her things to move in with us, I found soooo many things I had thought were donated in her garage.

I love free finds on the side of the road or items for projects but if I can't find a use for it after a few months, out it goes.

Same with clothing.  I don't buy expensive clothing these days and tend to wear a more uniform type of look.  5 pairs of the same pants and I rotate the tops out.  Being a complete slob when it comes to not dripping food on myself my shirts end up stained and / or torn from working outside in the yard very quickly and get thrown out every 6 months and replaced.  I also don't change to work in the garden, I just go out in my work clothes....changing clothes wastes time! I'm also considering wearing a bib by the way when I eat... it's that bad...

I love to have closets where there is empty space.  It makes me happy.  I also love to have closets where I see tons of project ideas just waiting to be done.  It also makes me happy.  Generally though it doesn't make me happy at the same time.

My garage always has extra space so if I find something good I have somewhere to put it.

Currently, I'm in clean out mode.  I need to finish up some projects or get rid of the junk!

The only exception is emergency supplies. You can never be too prepared so extra food and water is always on hand.

So how about you?  I think for me, the feeling of having some extra things around makes me feel secure, but then it starts to feel overwhelming and getting things really pared down makes life so much easier to manage.

I was speaking with a friend the other day who was telling me she has a bit of a hoarding problem, hence why I'm posting on this topic :)