Things you don't throw out.

My parents admirably started serious decluttering from about age 70. They had moved a couple of times later in life, so that helped. As soon as my father realised he wasn't going into his workshop any more, and never would again (he made some really beautiful furniture), he sold the big woodworking tools to younger friends who he knew would treat and use them properly. My mother has always kept the office neat and tidy, having been a secretary all her life, and when my father died, she started getting rid of all the books and had the bookshelves taken down and the lounge repainted. Now she just has a couple of dictionaries and photo albums. Every time I visit her we go through another kitchen cupboard and use up or throw out cans and jars of food which have passed their sell by date.

A second freezer out in the garage was recently defrosted and decommissioned, but has yet to be thrown out or sold.

Having said that, she does have the plastic containers and the rubber bands. Next up will probably be the Tupperware cupboard.

Those gloves from the hair colouring kits might be useful in the car in case you ever have to change a wheel etc. That's my theory. I also have takeaway containers, they are useful for the fridge or freezer. Yes, I am a hoarder.

I think the trick is to be a frequent house mover, it gives you a chance to assess belongings. Also you do need to be in the right mood. " Do I really need it.? No, so out it goes. "

I'm not sentimental or romantic. I don't get attached to things much but my house is still full of rubbish and clutter! I'm so bone idle ? I do mean to get it all away to the tip but I'll do it tomorrow... Procrastination is one of my best talents. Total panic if someone suggests visiting me is another but I'll even put that off till the last minute ...? I'll have a house full at C*******s but I've got months and months to clear a path to the spare bed....

I admire your management skills harrigran
MrA closely guards his area of the study and the garage, from any incursion by anything that could possibly be categorised as mine, or even general household

Jane we have most of the things off the list but they are all contained in DH's area of the study, I am definitely not a hoarder. I do have a selection of plastic boxes and tubs for storing home made soup and so on.

Anything that crosses the threshold of my workshop will not get thrown out, ever !

If in doubt Chuck it out.......recycle.or sent to.charity bins first of.course. hate clutter,

We were just talking about this to BIL & SIL yesterday - we have so much 'stuff' that we need to get rid of - cupboards full of cd's and dvd's we never use, boxes of parent's things too - ornaments my mother loved but I don't yet cant bring myself to get rid of, my dad's tools that are from the dark ages, silverware from my in-laws that is black and tarnished, things we packed away years ago as unwanted and still in the garage. With the house up for sale we were going to de-clutter but now thinking of staying put and I guess the 'junk' will also stay put! I do tend to get rid of clothing that I've not worn or doesn't fit any more - our local vet collects for the Blue Cross so I take it down there.

The world is divided into those who chuck and those who hoard – and never the twain shall meet. Mrabsent wanted to include umpteen metres of mini-trunking in the container of furniture when we were moving across the world. I, on the other hand, parted with 2,000 paperback novels to a charity shop (some of them first paperback Penguins) before we packed.

I'm afraid I'm a hoarder. I cannot bear to part with things inherited from loved ones. Ornaments, no longer fashionable, that my late father went to the china shop and chose for me, mostly Border Fine Arts which he loved. Items I bought for my late mother which she took such pride in and other things which belonged to my late eldest sister who emigrated to the USA when she was 21 and I was 11. I can still hear her tell me about each of them. Every time I look at or dust these objects it brings back memories. I kept my son's toys and it is giving me joy to now see his son playing with them.

I also have a wardrobe full of clothes that I really need to sort through and donate or sell on as I don't often go to the sort of occasion where I'd wear them. But you never know....

I never throw away keys. I've lots of keys here and there in the house. It's just I can't remember what they are/were for.I might throw one away which I might need, doubt it though.

Only 6 items that I don't have!
As well as used batteries I have a drawer full of unused ones of most types known to man, but most of them are so old that they have lost all power. I have a battery tester so must go through them.

I've got most of them too, Janeainsworth.
I gave the garage a good clean out recently and threw out things that I now need.
I threw out a large container of empty compost bags. Today I have been digging the clay out of a waterlogged area and wish I had those bl..... bags so that I can dispose of the clay more easily.

I have 6 of those items in that link!, that is because I chuck stuff out, but I now have several various storage boxes and containers that are surplus to requirements - it is very liberating to get rid of clutter.

That's funny Janeainsworth. I have about 50% of those things, better go have a clear out right now

Oooooo Jingle, can I have your lids?, I have dishes without lids and unfortunately my hubby has inherited the 'clatter gene' from his Dad and broken (well chipped) all ours! (You should hear him in the kitchen and filling the dishwasher (his job, I'm not allowed) the sounds that eminate from there are unbelievable, bang, clatter, crash, wallop, it makes me cringe and breaking pyrex is his forte!

I'm feeling almost virtuous until I look at my collection of things which have been sent with flowers in them. There are very pretty baskets or vases but I will never ever arrange a bunch of flowers other than sticking them in a vase and giving the vase a shake.

Various silver plated items of little value and which none of my family will ever want to take when I'm gone! Lots of cat ornaments which people used to give me when I was officially a 'cat person'. Real cats are long gone but it might offend friends and relatives if I gave away the wooden and pottery cats. Any number of jute shopping bags which 'might come in useful' ..... or not.

When we moved, I threw away a large bin liner full of plastic containers. So how come I seem to have accumulated the equivalent of another bin liner full which are filling up my cupboards? We just can't bring ourselves to throw away anything that might prove to be remotely useful - or not! My GS is now 10 and has lost interest in junk modelling, but I still keep "junk", overflowing in the garage, just in case he wants to build another Temple of Doom for his action men (which he has also lost interest in). We now only build Temples of Doom on Minecraft! I have a dustbin full of plastic plant pots that have not seen the light of day for at least three years - but I might need them next season.....

Janeainsworth I don't have a Sports Direct mug!

I actually got rid of mmy boxful of dead batteries yesterday - there's a collection point in our local Tesco. And I had a purge of the old instruction manuals a while ago...

The only one I've got of those is the grandchildren's heights on the wall.
And a set of allen keys, but they get used, so they are not weird.

My favourite is the fancy carrier bags that are too nice to throw away

www.buzzfeed.com/alexfinnis/the-draw?utm_term=.dymwwJV7Kl#.bl3jj1oN8Y
39 weird things that are found in every British home