apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

give it to someone you like a lot and that will appreciate it, or someone who could you it a lot more than you.

I did the home cure a few months ago. Before I started, I took pictures of my entire house. Then, if I was losing steam or feeling remorse, I would just look at my before pictures. Granted, I still have more to do, but that helps a lot.

You can divide your remorse into one of three categories:

1) Losing something of financial value: If you think the object may be worth something, give it a one week reprieve and post it on eBay. In seven days, you will know whether your instincts were correct. If no one wants it out of millions of collectors and buyers, then it is probably not worth enough to be concerned about.

2) Losing something of sentimental value: I allow myself one full size moving box full of indulgent sentiment that I never look at. Once the box is full, I have to make some choices about what sentiment is of value to me. I photograph or document the objects that don't make the cut or are too large or of too little value to save. Trust me. You are far more likely to dig up a picture of that craft project you did in college than to dig up the actual project from storage when you want a trip down memory lane.

3) Losing something of practical value: Chances are, practical items can be found easily at any point you decide you need one. Extension cords - go to Target. Tools - go to Home Depot. What you can't buy at the store is more space or a clutter free life.

Put aside one medium size plastic bin of rainy day "practical" items and throw the rest away. If you really do need five more extension cords, a dozen extra paint rollers, or four 3/4 empty cans of paint, they are just a trip to the store away. You may run into hard times in your life, but chances are it won't be because you threw out a nearly finished roll of old masking tape.

I am a cyclical purger - every year or so I get the urge to throw a ton of stuff away. It feels great doing it, but inevitably I go to far in one or two instances.

I threw away a bunch of pictures I thought I wasn't ever going to want to look at again...until I did. And I can't get those back.

One technique I've seen is for things you are TRULY on the fence about, is to put those things in a box in storage for 6 months. If you don't miss them at all, but instead hate seeing that box, get rid of it. You can't do this with everything, but it may help for those few things you really can't decide on.

I never miss anything I get rid of and I've gotten rid of a lot of stuff. But, there's some stuff--really stubborn clutter--I haven't been able to get rid of because I'm afraid I will have remorse. Some of it's personal professional products from a long time ago that I don't necessarily even like. But, these represent a time in my life and are irreplaceable. I know I can scan it, but I don't even want to open the box at this point. Another thing is a big box of letters. I've done some culling, but it's so time consuming, because in order to decide whether to keep or pitch, I have to look at the stuff, and then I start going down memory lane. It's just so time consuming and it's another box I never want to open.

I do that storage box idea, and it works wonders.
The box goes out of sight into the closet. When I need more storage space, I go through the box, just to make sure. Most times the entire contents go straight to GoodWill.

I think careful purging rarely results in remorse. I always do two-step purges. First, set aside items you haven't used for a long time for possible tossing out. Let it sit for about 3 months in an holding area and if it isn't touched, throw it away. With the exception of seasonal items and items used for irregular cleaning/repair, anything that you use less than 4 times a year probably isn't worth keeping.

It also helps if functional items which you are thinking of throwing away or getting rid of are things you know you can borrow from someone else if needed (or rent).

One thing that I think is very important to consider is how often you need to purge. If you need to purge too often, you're probably buying too much crap. After an initial big purge, you should just be continuing to trim around the edges.

Just shrug it off because it's in the past. What's done is done, and it's not the end of the world.

Funnily enough the only things I have remorse about getting rid of are a few pieces of clothing. But my wardrobe is already really full and if I never get rid of anything there is no space for new things.

I think the idea of a picture, especially with big sentimental items you don't really have a place for but want something to remember them by, is a very good one.

And for things you are not sure about getting rid of, but them aside for a while (but don't wait too long), go trough it again and then make your final decision.

But also keep in mind, out of a 100 things you get rid of you might miss one some day, but isn't it worth taking that chance if you can win not only more space but also a nicer home?

I keep a box (large Rubbermaid tote size) and put purged items in there for 6 months or so. If after 6 months, they haven't been touched (or thought of) they go. I do keep one large tote per person in storage of sentimental items I know I'll never use but I can't get rid of (my high school cheerleading jacket...).

I do a lot of reminding myself that I live in civilization so I can afford to lose a power cord- there's more!

I also tell my family/friends who are moving that yes, in the purge you will toss something you will totally regret. It happens. I'll make you tea. It'll feel better soon.

A number of years ago - I purged my closets in preparation for a new BF to move in: In that purge, I got rid of a couple suits that I never wore....

...wouldn't you know - less than 3 months later, I had an occassion to wear that suit - so I went shopping for one.

Sometimes, there are things that you should always keep at least one of.

RichardinLA, that's great insight. I'm sending it to my mum & dad who need to purge like no tomorrow for an impending move. Hopefully it will keep their steam going when the task gets to be too much!

First of all I remember that it's all just "things". I'll own many more things- I'm American after all. And I tell myself that I'll have something even better than the one that got away. Worked with my husbands....

Purge and be damned. By the time you ever get round to needing or wanting something again either your tastes will likely have changed, a better version will be on the market or you'll have more money to by the ultimate version of whatever it was.

When I purge, I go all out. Graduating from college meant throwing a lot of stuff, and for the most part I didn't even look twice and thought, "will I not want to look at the pictures of that one night of debauchery that I will forever consider a significant part of my life?" Memories are blurred and discarded in a whirl of maniacal material separation, and never were there much of regrets. For the most part, tomorrow always brought good or better ones.

But in a sense, purging puts people in a vicious cycle: throw this one away and get a new one later, which will eventually get old and take its place as the thing to be discarded for a better one. We discard to prepare for more things to discard. We empty to be filled to be emptied again. Things have no purpose other than to fulfill our guilt of overconsumption, and our liberty from having overconsumed, and our freedom to consume again. These are just things, yet we buy them repeatedly and endlessly, as if these mere things have become meaningful simply because they can be replaced.

Simply put, the best way to deal is not to purge. Instead, stop acquiring.

Well said somedudeinvicenza

In the 80s, I threw out a bunch of MCM stuff that seemed terribly old-fashioned at the time.