The Clutter Fairy Weekly Survey #184 Results
It’s Complicated (Our Relationship with Stuff)
Below are the results of our survey about audience experiences related to the topic for episode #184 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly. If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey.
Responses
To view the detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name in the table below. (You may also find it easier to read long responses in the detailed view.)
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Describe an item or collection that you’re rationally prepared to release, but something always seems to keep you from making the final decision to let it go. | How do you feel when you think about letting go of the item you described in your answer to the previous question? | Complete the following statement: “I know I won’t keep this item forever, so I would like ___.” | Fill in the blank: “Watching and listening to The Clutter Fairy Weekly makes me want to try ___.” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marsh... | My many coats...My life in Coats. I feel the "guiltys'" by having so many coats. Grandfathers arctic parka I wear winter - keeps me warm/dry. My New York classic evening coat still wear-with-anything today. My leather from my lustful youth -great to wear when I ride horses. My faux fur first gift from beloved spouse - perfect to wear to our cold Church in mornings. My Mothers really comfortable sports coat that I wear to feel her "hugs". Lastly, my Fathers first gift to his child @ 16th birthday -long, black wool - still great form to wear anywhere today. So many mixed feelings as I just have these coats hanging - I shake 'em out to wear when needed for too costly to replace. They take up such a small space in my home = My life in a line of coats. Thank you Gayle/Ed - for this Tittle. Marsh... | The "Guiltys'" such a mixture of feelings... | ... | Again Thinning the Herd... |
| Marsh... | Coats | The "guiltys'" | .... | *combining 2 statements = I am into "thinning the herd!" |
| Peggy | papers of any sort other than advertisements | fear that I will want or need the paper | keep it in a maybe pile haha | being glad that I have already done so much decluttering |
| Sarah | My mom's swivel rocker chair that she bought at Salvation Army. | Mixture of the two. Bittersweet. Sadness that Mom is no longer around. Pleasant memories of her sitting in that chair watching TV. | ... to remember Mom peacefully relaxing and enjoying watching TV in her retirement years. | Using my skills of connecting with others on a deep level to help them accomplish more of what they want in life. |
| Tammy | Papers due to medical trauma Old clothes fear not having money to buy new ones or make a good replacement decision | Angry Fear Worry Indecision Guilt Shame | Get money for it | Live with less |
| Gabriella | I have kept 2 small musical boxes from my early childhood. I have recently gone through my sentimental items and was able to let go of a lot of them. These musical boxes I decided to keep for the time being, although I have no use for them - and I don't even gain extraordinary joy from them. | These items are connected to my memories as a toddler. I feel that letting go of them would amount to parting with something I would not be able to replace. I remember that, as a toddler, these items were there, I didn't mind them, but even then I was not overenthusiastic about them either. | “…to get some money for it.” I don't think there is a big chance to get some money for them. Nevertheless, they may turn out to be a rarity. There is a collectors' market for antique toys in Germany. | ... living with less. |
| Anonymous user | Old papers or materials from my former work life, mostly on my computer. | It is some sort of grief about not being able to work any more. There are some fond memories but although I shrunk my collection considerably there is still some stuff (digital and paper) I think I might want to use again if I should recover from my chronic illness. It's part holding on to that hope and part feeling sad about being too sick to work at all in any job. Also I feel I did valuable work and experienced interesting and significant work relationships before and holding on to some stuff makes me feel valuable and having done something meaningful. But obviously this doesn't have to be connected with keeping stuff. On the other hand the stuff is a link to feeling good about myself. I really try to keep just a small selection. It is hard to face my feelings about being in early retirement. | ... someone to help me let go of it. | ... to finally manage my paperwork with ease. And also I'd like to give you both a big hug! |
| Suzanne | Hmm. This will be a quick survey as I can’t think of an item or collection that I’m rationally prepared to release that is ever delayed in its exit from my home. | I imagine if I kept delaying it’d likely be due to anxiety. Not a good answer due to not real. | When I do get items out of the house they are given to anybody or a charity who can use them. If they were from a deceased family member I do offer them to family first but not an issue if they say no thank you. Pfftt, money? I just can’t sell - when I’m releasing I just want it gone and preferably not into a garbage bin, though I’m becoming better at accepting that binning something is better than hanging onto it. | To see my clutter in a new or different way, and to explore other angles to declutter items I struggle with. It also helps me to release items I hadn’t thought about decluttering (invisible clutter or not looking at yet clutter). |
| Kathy | Metal box of financial papers that are 2 generations old. | What in that time period of a depression Era they went thru | No one would want these fact figures reposition ect. Parents of these documents t their children are deceased. | Opening that metal clasp again and possibly try. |
| Anonymous user | I cannot think of anything I have decided to let go! Upon long reflection, I believe the reason is because I'm trying to cling to my life. Unfortunate circumstances prevented me from fulfilling my goals and dreams, so I cling to the things that are a part of the life I had before the life events that halted my life's progress, as well as leave me feeling unprotected and vulnerable. It seems like, now that the people and opportunities I had are gone, submerging myself in the past is a balm, like a safe place to regroup and possibly redefine a life path. Items that people have given me because they were going to discard them are a somewhat different story. Many of them I simply pass on, but there are some I feel obliged to keep "just in case," as I no longer have the resources I would need to buy new. | There are pleasant as well as unpleasant memories tangled in the items I own, but when I think of parting with them, I feel as if I am giving away my security. There is a feeling of panic and sadness. Keeping the items gives me a feeling as if I am home and safe. | But I believe I WILL keep items forever!!! Okay, playing along: ... whoever ends up with it to take good care of it and treasure it as I have. | ... making my environment to serve me, allowing my best life. |
| Summer | Print photos & old memorabilia Ready to pare it down but dreading. | Anxious and overwhelmed. Dread to raise emotions. It is generally positive but will be somewhat painful too. | Organize and share with loved ones or discard the items of no sentimental value. | living with less consistently |
| Ellen in W Michigan | My TV and videos. Realistically, I only even turn on my TV during about two weeks a year, but somehow am afraid of regretting if I get rid of them. I usually only watch TV when I am ill or have guests that are addicted to it. | I am afraid that as I get older I will regret not having this easy, mindless way to pass my time. I refuse to pay subscriptions for streaming for things that I already have or could get for free with a little effort (like a You Tube search). I want to simplify my home and possessions, but do not want to needlessly spend money. | to get rid of it to anyone who can use it, or just toss if it will not be useful to anyone. | living with less. |
| Dee | An old hand embroidery Noah's Arc wall hanging that my mother started for my sister in 1974, I tried to finish it for my son in 1996, it's still not completed, but I am having a difficult time sending it out into the world. | I feel great when I decide I'm going to put it into the box of give away stuff, as Gayle has said in the past, I can release it and trust that it will be a blessing to someone else. Then I get it back out of the box before it is taken to the charity place. Then doubt again as to why I didn't release it. | I know I won't keep this item forever, so I would like to let it go to anyone who can get any use out of it. | Listening to the Clutter Fairy Weekly makes me want to try to get a handle on all of my excess clutter! |
| Kathy | I have two sets of creamer and sugar bowls. One is a pretty, plain white set and one is floral, old and belonged to my grandmother. I wasn't close to her but I still look at it as my grandmother's set. | I know I cannot keep both sets - I don't need two, nor will I have room for two when I move. I usually choose to use the white set for it's clean lines and versatility. Yet, I cannot seem to part with my grandmother's set. It represents something old which appeals to me. It represents my grandmother and even though we weren't close, it is still a connection to her and, indirectly, my father. I have positive feelings towards both. I have made hard decisions to part with things but I cannot seem to make a choice, no matter how many times I visit these items. I know I will regret parting with either one and cannot decide which I will regret more. I think it makes sense to keep my grandmother's set from a familial and emotional sense yet I can't part with the white. I am truly stuck. And, I feel it's ridiculous for me to be spending all of this brainpower making this decision. Yet, here I am. | ..."to let it go to anyone who can use it." I will donate what I don't keep. My children don't want either set and that doesn't bother me at all. I don't have feelings of regret for sadness that my grandmother's set won't stay in the family if I choose to part with it. | Absolutely living with less!!! |
| Lesley | I have a bronze statue of a horse I paid $600+ for at an antiques shop; I also have a Johnny West Thunderbolt model (Marx Toy horse) that I paid $3 at Rose’s. Both I no longer need but I can’t let go of either. I mention both because they are examples of extreme sentimentality and the money factor (but I’m not motivated to put the bronze on eBay to sell) | Ack 😵💫 rationally, they should be able to go but I can’t think of Thunderbolt going in the garbage or to the dump. He gave me happy fantasies as a child of being a single financially independent woman who could ride off on her horse as Barbie and solve mysteries like Nancy Drew 😂 got rid of the Barbie’s but Thunderbolt is that last representative piece of my Johnny West horse herd. The bronze represents a passage to adulthood (but I’m more of an adult child) something I wanted as a piece of decoration in a house I don’t have. The house is shabby rather than a decorator’s design. The bronze is a white elephant! Argh | Toss it (the Marx horse) Perhaps get money for the bronze | To clear the clutter! |
| Lala | I like selling things, but hate to let them go so cheaply, when they are worth so much more. I look them up online and am amazed at the prices they bring when I could use that money so badly. | I have a lot of stuff that I don't think I'm attached to, because I have it stored separately from my house items that I personally use or enjoy. I have kept the items for selling, but then I'm still overwhelmed, either mentally or physically. It is a tremendous amount of work for just me, as I can not get anyone to help. There was 1 item that I had for sale and it sold, but then I felt terrible after I sold it, and for NO REASON that I can think of! Weird! | to sell it cuz I need the money. Some items I have, I've been starting to give away on a 'free' page on facebook. That makes me happy too. Then it's not just going into a landfill. | Looking for a way to eliminate having soooo much stuff. |
| Sara J | Shoes | Mixture. I have bunions, so shoes that fit seem very valuable. Some of the shoes do not fit, though! | to give to a family member | to reach the three steps to be done! |
| Anonymous user | Collection of figurines. | Sad. I know no one will want them. I’m telling myself to let them go. I’m not sure what to do with them. I have to box them back up. Just a time constraint. Negative at the moment. | To let go to someone who’d enjoy it. | Living with less |
| Anonymous user | Old books that I think I should read but don't | I feel that I could/should use the information to improve myself, my life and my home. | I would probably get rid of more things if they could be of use to someone else and/or I could get money for them. | Getting rid of my clutter and finishing up some craft projects |
| Margy | The last doll that I have from my childhood | I feel silly keeping it at my age; but it’s just on the grandchildren’s guest bed (although they are too old for dolls also). It is more just decor and gives me pleasure when I glance in the room. It is the only toy left from my childhood. | Save it for a great grandchild or a neighborhood child who appreciates it. Eventually though it will probably go to Salvation Army. | Living with less and organizing what I have |
| Granny | Clothes my mother, a professional dressmaker made for me, especially the last thing she made before she passed away. | The feeling is a mixture of sadness and warmth as I remember her hugs. I often smile. (Maybe I’m not really ready to let go of one of at least that last one) | Let them go | Living with less in an organized home 🙂 |
| Anonymous user | sometimes sitting on my entry table. I paid very little for it. antique looking but doesn't fit in. it's like a mini huch empty NOTHING IN IT. My MOTHER just went in a nursing home on Friday the 29th after living with me and my husband and I am also feeling paralyzed with her stuff. She has such beautiful things I really don't need. Still trying to get my minimalist/ decluttered Home. HELP! | I'm going to regret it after it's gone 😪. I'll find the spot for it or a purpose for it and anxious | to anyone who can get good use out of it | living with less |
| Judy | Books | generally negative since these were so special in my child and teen years. | to find someone who would want it | sorting things out |
| Noreen | 12-piece sterling silverware set that was my parents | Guilty but it is not being used and just sits in a cabinet. No one to pass it on to in family. | either get some money or let it go to someone who will actually use it | to better use what I already have |
| Anonymous user | Camping/survival type gear and products | I feel positive about letting the items go, but then, the thought of, "What if the power grid goes out for several days? I will need the propane camp stove to cook." That thought or something similar usually keeps me from donating the items even though they sit, unused, year after year. I live in a very small, rural area, so I can't easily or quickly buy more of these types of items. | Usually, we offer any unwanted items to our six children. If they don't need the item(s), we donate to a thrift shop that supports a cause important to us. | |
| Christine | Unfinished sewing projects and photographs of deceased relatives | Feelings of loss, something precious that can never be found again. | I'm the end of the line, there is no one who wants this after me. Throwing it in the garbage seems heartless, like they meant nothing. | Dealing with the hard clutter, the more sentimental items. |
| Anonymous user | Gifted stuffed animals | Guilt, sadness | To donate them to someone who will enjoy them | Gayle's instructions and suggestions. ( Your examples made me lol!) |
| Kristin | My husband and my golf clubs. We aren't really into golf, but enjoyed going to the driving range to hit the balls once and a while. We didn't have much money but somehow scrapped together enough to by each of us a used set. Since then my husband has developed issues with his back (compresses disks) and there is no way he can go to the driving range anymore without being in pain for the rest of the week. Somehow I just can't let these go. I could go to the driving range by myself but it just doesn't appeal to me if he isn't there. I even have a decent salary now and can purchase a set if I decide to get back into it. I think that knowing how hard it was for us to get them keeps me from letting them go. | I feel like I would regret it. I'm also sad that we can't enjoy this activity anymore together. | I know I won’t keep this item forever, so I would like to let it go to anyone who can get good use out of it | Watching and listening to The Clutter Fairy Weekly makes me want to try living with less |
| Linda | Craft supplies | Sad. It’s the active release of a perception of someone I think I want to be. Realizing I need to spend the time to match the current adult me to the crafts I’m going to do not just those that seem like they’d be fun to do. | Any of the three are acceptable, tho selling it would be my last choice. Just going thru a lifetime of possessions post house fire ( I’m that Linda) and I would much prefer to put the things we’re releasing into the hands of the person who can use it. | Work harder to be my best non possession-centric self! |
| Evelin | a Tamburica (musical instrument that I played in high school (similar to a guitar)) | it would be like letting go of the best times | ... to give it to a student who would enjoy it. | beading ! I´ve seen beautiful beading work on Pinterest and would love to see some of Gayle´s work! |
| Janet | Old travel paraphernalia | I feeler trapped not understanding how to proceed. I To declutter your home you need to look at everything, including travel paraphernalia. The old brochures, post cards, tickets, planning, etc. | Minimize what I have. I don’t travel much (no money) and these trips were with my son was he was little. | To live with less. And organize what I do have (I’m good at that) |
| Julie | Professionals Text books and journals. | I would like to not throw them away however, they are out dated. It would be very rare to have to use the legal references, laws again. | Keep going with the task. | |
| Carol | My mom’s and grandma’s hand crocheted and sewn pieces. I also have cotton embroidered table top pieces I have trouble letting go of that they’ve made. | I feel sad about letting them go,definitely not a positive feeling. | love to give it to a family member who’d appreciate it. | Living with less |
| Fee | Lots of my Mum's things,she passed away in April | Sad,like I'm letting go of Mum,(although I know that's irrational. | To have a method of going through things and letting them go. | To keep a cheerful attitude to decluttering (thanks so much for this,Ed & Gail) |
| Celina | I've been thinking about selling my Barbie collection, because they've been literally collecting the dust for over a year now. Since I regained some time fo rmy crafts and hobbies, I've gotten back to dolls and sewing, but the barbie collection, specifically, hasn't been touched. | 1. scared it'll be impossible to reboy the collection 2. scared I will start to miss it 3. just angry at myself for selling away something that took time, effort, hours/days of online research to acquire | still have some fun and experience with it before I sell it away | give myself an break (mentally, not literally) and forgive for my past clutter-related mistakes. You both are so compassionate! And so are the viewers! |
| Barbara | Beautiful glassware: wine glasses, crystal bowls, vases, hand painted plates, serving dishes. | I feel good if it’s to a family member or friend. I feel a sense of loss when thinking about giving it away and put it back in my cupboard. | To give it to a family member or to someone who needs or can use it. | Living with less |
| Janice | Parts to knitting machines, which are worth some money, because I am fearful of using ebay and not knowing how to ship, I don't have a printer. If I could figure it out I will do it. | Positive mostly. I ordered these items for "someday" but I now realize I have enough and want to have the ability via ebay to make another crafter happy. | To try for some money and if not, donate it to its next owner. | Haha. Living with less, so much easier to manage a home with less inventory. Teeny tiny beads are pretty, though! |
| Stellaria | Clothes and shoes that I finally accept I no longer fit or look good in and will never wear. | Sad because the event I thought I could wear the outfit to has never happened, or I have never reached the required weight/size needed. Things I thought looked good and appropriate even a year or two ago often no longer do. So there’s a sense of wasted money, time & effort. | to let it go and get it out of the house. It would be nice to make some money back, but I know how difficult that can be and how long it takes so I usually just donate. | Keeping up with the constant clutter in my house and having a less cluttered calmer happier home. |
| Intignia | Barbie miniature dishes and kitchens. I had a hard time and let go of several kitchens, but kept the accessories as they take up less space than the kitchens. But with 50 plus bead boxes full of miniatures, I am even running out of room there. | Sad because I really loved those kitchens (three of them), but I don't have room to display them or even play with the Barbie houses I have because I have run out of storage space; and things are piled up on the floor so I can't reach them. It makes me feel so sad because I've always loved kitchens since I was a small girl. But I wiped them down with disinfectant, added a few accessories and sealed them in plastic bags to make Playsets, then I envisioned the happiness of someone finding such a great deal/item at the thrift shop : ) | pass it on to someone who would appreciate it, in other words, use it and value it. | and clear a path in my room for the paramedics. I'm 70 now and need to be prepared. |
| Lela | Supplies for raising chickens | Mixed feelings. Sad because I miss my chickens & want more. (My dog ate my last four hens. They were 7 years old & still laying eggs!) But realistically, I will not have chickens until my dog passes away, which will likely be many years from now, & would be better off starting with fresh equipment and supplies then. Gathering new supplies would be nice/fun, but my nagging brain says it’s wasteful to throw out what I have now just to get shiny new things in the future. | …for it to get good use before it gets old brittle, rusty, etc. | …to talk my family members into thinning out more of their junk. Lol |
| Susan | Believe it or not, paperwork! I rationally know that there are really few things we need, but I have also ended up needing the very things I have destroyed. It's not always easy or possible to replace certain items. | I feel great about it until an issue comes up about information I no longer have! It's rare, but it happens! | Regarding things, I would want family to have it. Regarding papers, we all know that there is few items you truly need. None of us have figured out wat to keep from parents estate. | Living better with less. |
| Lenette | Rocking chair | No special memories, I don't even sit in it. Only used when extended family comes on Thanksgiving. | To donate it to the mission thrift store. | |
| Suzy | Craft supplies | I have fears of changing my mind about going back to old hobbies or needing the supplies for different projects I might do in the future. Regret! | Let someone else have them that can use them now. | Moving forward on static stuff in my storage. |
| Dorothy | An expensive brand new Chemistry Lab set that I’m no longer interested in using | I want to cry. I meant to perform experiments on YouTube as a teaching experience for students, to prove that I was a good teacher, and also I thought that it would be fun for me as well. I’ve since retired from teacher and now, I’ve got other interests. But it was SO expensive. | To sell it. My daughter suggested that I could sell the big kit, and get a much more basic, more doable kit, if I still want to pursue the experiments. | Living with less. |
| Lisa Beth | Some of my Mom's collectibles that my Dad felt "Someone should want." My Mom was a hoarder and Dad loved her and would do anything to bring her a smile. I'm the only living daughter. | Tearful, the feelings move thru me like a roller-coaster. I know that I only want positives around me. | To offer it to extended family ( all of us kids have more enough for sharing with our kids and pass the rest on to someone it will make smile. | To continue to declutter as a regular routine so I don't leave it all for my kids to suffer thru. |
| Bina | Collectable lamp. | It do like it but it doesn't fit my current home decor, plus I would have to buy a new shade etc (conversely I just bought fittings for a lamp shade I love so go figure). It is also potentially worth a lot of money. | To get some money for it. | Get rid of more stuff. Plus the latest episode made me think about taking up a new craft. |
| Anonymous user | Photos and other paperwork | Paperwork, feels like I may need most and don't have time to sort. Photos, feel like not enough time m | ||
| Susan | Clothes of a wrong size. | Sad that I don't fit in the clothes | To fit into the clothes which I is why I probably hang on to the clothes. | Disgard more items. |
| Anonymous user | I did this for years with two antique items from my Grandmother because I was attached to her. My only daughter did not want them. When it was time to move and downsize, I got rid of them. | Although they meant a lot to me and the dishes reminded me of many meals together, my daughter had none of those memories. We didn't have room for them. After a year, I still miss them to some degree. | I checked with family first but it was too expensive to ship from the west coast to the east. So they went to charities that ran thrift stores. | Live with less and resist bringing in more |
| Michele | Items from 30 years of teaching | Stressed, indecisive | To let it go without wishing I had kept it | Decluttering the stuff I find hard to part with |
| Anonymous user | Inherited old pictures that are interesting and seem historical but names, dates and locations are unknown | Discarding the items makes me feel guilty and relieved at the same time | I don’t know anyone who wants the pictures | Declutter |
| Michele | So many things because I am actually in the middle of a two-location move. But my huge collection of vintage matchbooks keeps avoiding the donate pile and is taking up space on the kitchen counter while I ruminate over it…. Definitely tangled. | Sentimentality over the times and places represented which is especially poignant for an international move. One more link to “home” let go. Also? The weirdly enjoyable smell of them! | A collector who would appreciate it | Haha! Living with less. Okay, and beading. |
| Kristi | Large picture frames, wall shelves and wall decor. I have negative emotions attached to them and deep down, knows I won't hang them up ever again. I think my mind has placed high value on them from past times when I had more money. | At first, tons of freedom and empowerment. That immediately turns to overwhelm and exhaustion which totally shuts me down. I also feel a sense of doom, loss, lack, and hopelessness. My world was ripped out from under me when I was suddenly and unexpectedly forced to choose me and my children's safety over my marriage and lifestyle. We lived 10 years in poverty before our financial situation began improving. It makes sense I'd hold on to items linked to my past life, and security. | ...to get some money for it. However, the past couple months, that statement is beginning to change (a little) to "let it go to anyone who can get good use out of it". | Living with less |
| Diana | China from my wedding and from my mom | It’s so beautiful that I hate to let it go but I never use it and probably never will. The plates from my mom remind me if her and the great dinner parties she hosted. | I don’t have an answer for this. I don’t think any of my nieces would want the china and plates. I think it would be a challenge to sell. It would cost a lot to ship. It hurts to imagine someone else using it. | Thinning the herd 🙂 |
| rowan | to lure her to Bellingham... | |||
| Anonymous user | Dog junque - statues, pictures, etc | Love the dogs so much and people who gave me the things know that is true. | to let someone have it who will love it and appreciate it and has room for it! | to stop being silly and keeping so much s t u f f. |
| Maureen | A piano -- in my garage. Many years ago we were looking for one for our daughter to take lessons. My great aunt offered hers to us as she was moving into a retirement community, but my mom kindly gave her $500 as she was in need. Fast forward 20 years and I have no place for the piano, the daughter's in grad school and no longer plays, my mom and great aunt have passed away, but incredible guilt about this family piece leaving remains. The original sales receipt for the piano is still in the bench (my wonderful great aunt was a single mom with not many material things to her name). I've asked her daughter and grandchildren and none are interested. Will my kids be the ones to finally dispose? | Overwhelming guilt. | At this point, to let it go to anyone who can get good use out of it. Most are free on Facebook Marketplace. | to not leave all this stuff for my kids to sort out one day, or in lieu, to hire and fly Gail to my town for advice! |
| Cathie | My Mom's wedding silverware from 1951. It has 12 settings. She was so proud of it for its beauty & that it brought some elegance into the celebrations of the rather clunky family she married into. (My Dad's). Because of her focus on the pretty, all our relations seemed to up their game. | I feel guilty & disrespectful. She worked so hard to make our lives nicer & prettier. Both parents were farm kids during the Great Depression. We were farmers, too, but had nice things. My parent's hard work provided those. The darned silverware is a symbol of their efforts & success. | AACK. I have no children. Mom's three grandchildren have declined the silverware. I suppose, I will eventually donate it to the hospital auxiliary thrift store. They accept nicer things & have good luck selling them. | Sort my fabrics, once more. |
| Pat | Breadmaker | Ist a mixture of fear ( we might need it someday) and on the positive side: it was a much needed gift, brand new, very expensive and a so very lovely gift form my husband. | To let it go to anyone who can get good use of it. And I don’t know how? | To learn more, about everthing, how the human mind works in cluttered situations |
| Denise | Some xmas decor that my grandmother knit. I'm now 66 and my grandmother died when I was 38. I don't like them that much and don't put them out. I rationalize keeping them because they all fit in a gallon ziplock. I know that my son will just throw them away, if I do not. I do not have any expectations that he should keep them. My grandmother was the original minimalist and she would have no expectation that I should keep them. I tell myself that someone will throw them away and it might as well be me. But, thus far, I haven't been able to. | I feel conflicted. I know that they can go, but on the other hand, it is a gallon zip lock. | lol!!... just put them in the trash, since they will end up there sooner or later. | Downsize |
| C | Clothes one to 2 sizes smaller. These are classical, well made items, so timeless fashion wise. If I let these go, it means giving up on myself and efforts to fit back into them. | It's partly the sunken costs, but also maintained hope I still might fit into the beautiful clothes again. They don't tease me, mostly they are there as a challenge reminder. Not too many, but enough to make efforts worthwhile. | to let it go to someone who will appreciate it. | to get more control over various piles waiting for decisions. |
| Paula | Nothing because I finally let go of the one item hanging over my head a few months ago. | It was such relief to send that item on its way. It was family memorabilia that nobody else needed because they each had their own. But someone said they'd take it. Well worth the postage to mail it away. Absolutely zero regrets. | Rejoice that a relative took it off my hands. | To reduce my stuff even more. |
| Catherine | I’m not sure I’m rationally prepared except when I think about decluttering from far away. The minute I touch it, look at it, emotions come up. These are things I inherited from my mother — I’ve done a good job getting rid of my own things. | Sadness, grief, guilt and a desire to go lie down. | … to let it go without feeling emotionally crushed. | feeling a bit more light hearted around decluttering. |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Describe an item or collection that you’re rationally prepared to release, but something always seems to keep you from making the final decision to let it go. | How do you feel when you think about letting go of the item you described in your answer to the previous question? | Complete the following statement: “I know I won’t keep this item forever, so I would like ___.” | Fill in the blank: “Watching and listening to The Clutter Fairy Weekly makes me want to try ___.” |
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