Dealing with "too much stuff". A guy thing, or just a human thing, to hang on to "stuff"?

[Denninmi]

I know both genders do this, but I wonder if there is a "worse" gender for hanging on to things because they have sentimental value or some theoretical future use?

Even though he has been dead for years, there is still a lot of my father's junk in my mother's garage, things of absolutely no value, such as mover deck belts for mowers that she hasn't owned for years, a lot of strange tools that I and she have no clue what they are, and are never used, mainly things for woodworking, auto body work, and specialty DIY jobs like drywall or plumbing. In theory, some may have uses, but if I haven't touched them in 14 years, why harbor them?

Why, because to my mother, "you might need it some day". Indeed, I might just need a mower deck belt to a mower we don't own and is no longer on the market or being manufactured.

I'm not immune, I have several storage bins of older computer equipment, most about 10 years old, that "might be good for something" except it isn't anymore.

I say "out with the old" and get rid of this clutter. Taking up time and space.

Anyone care to join me and clean out their garages and basements? It's probably time.

[arcane1]

1. Few things are as cathartic as the semi-annual junk-purge

And I'm overdue for one

[sigmasix]

2. consider Goodwill

please consider donating your stuff to the local goodwill. They offer training and counseling to individuals with employment challenges. The things you donate can be written off- they will be recycled by the local community and thier resale will create economic opportunities for those that need it.

[Major Nikon]

8. Goodwill is one of my favorite charities along with the local food bank

I don't do garage sales or ebay. All of the results of my junk purges go to Goodwill.

[Dash87]

3. Definite human thing. I'm the exact opposite.

I throw everything away - even stuff I later need. I can't stand hanging on to useless crap I 'might need someday.'

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Most people would consider me a junk collector.

Yet, when something needs fixed, they come to me because "I used to have that tool/part/material/lumber, but I threw it away"

I don't know what's going to be useful, so I generally don't worry about it too much... just find a place for one more box.

I know someday my kids will have to deal with it. So what? Consider it payback for poopy diapers.

[actslikeacarrot]

5. I'm a hoarder in training...

...my wife is the complete opposite. She grew up in a clutter filled home, I basically grew up in a museum. I have 0 scientific evidence that this is the cause, but we laugh about it. Oh, by museum, I mean everything was neat, orderly and god forbid if you touch anything haha.

[loli phabay]

6. in my experience the hoarding is different between the sexes

men tend to hoard stuff like old tools and car parts, some hoard newspapers, women in my experience hoard animals more and trash more than men. though I have seen outliers and women tend to hoarders more than guys, no idea if it's ever been studied but this is my experience.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. I'm one of those "might need it someday" people.

but to be fair, I'm also the sort of person who every once in a while is called upon to build a working refrigerator out of twine and old bits of styrofoam.

Invariably when I go "ah, I'll never need this" I end up needing it 6 months later, for something.

That said, I do work on throwing stuff out. And every once in a while, doing a massive unloading of crap. It's cathartic.