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- Dec 17, 2007
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My parents, aunts and uncles were all "children of the depression".
Make do, make it yourself, fix it yourself, reuse, repurpose, or do without.
15 years ago my uncle (dad's brother in law) took ill and passed away leaving my Alzheimer's patient aunt alone on their remote 120 acre farm. Both of their children had dies young decades before. Myself and a cousin from another aunt were the only ones willing to step up and take care of things. We began what was almost a 2 year clean up project before my aunt passed and the farm was sold at auction. Two 40' roll-offs filled with useless crap, probably could have filled two more. Every box and receipt for what was probably every small appliance or power tool they had ever owned dating back to the early '70s. Boxes of sales receipts for livestock and grain bought and sold over the years dating to the '50s. If there was any possible way an item might possibly, someday, somehow be useable it was probably kept.
The house was always neat and orderly. The "stuff" was stored in a more or less orderly fashion in a variety of outbuildings and sheds, the barn, the big shop, the attic....
Make do, make it yourself, fix it yourself, reuse, repurpose, or do without.
15 years ago my uncle (dad's brother in law) took ill and passed away leaving my Alzheimer's patient aunt alone on their remote 120 acre farm. Both of their children had dies young decades before. Myself and a cousin from another aunt were the only ones willing to step up and take care of things. We began what was almost a 2 year clean up project before my aunt passed and the farm was sold at auction. Two 40' roll-offs filled with useless crap, probably could have filled two more. Every box and receipt for what was probably every small appliance or power tool they had ever owned dating back to the early '70s. Boxes of sales receipts for livestock and grain bought and sold over the years dating to the '50s. If there was any possible way an item might possibly, someday, somehow be useable it was probably kept.
The house was always neat and orderly. The "stuff" was stored in a more or less orderly fashion in a variety of outbuildings and sheds, the barn, the big shop, the attic....
When I moved to my current place 16 years ago,,,
I was able to move all of my belongings in one Chevy Van load.
Now I have two haul-off dumpsters worth of just "stuff".
This has to be my summer project,,,
Getting ruthless and tossing things I've had for years.
Most of the things are just worthless junk that evoke a fond memory,,,
Like the empty 8mm Mauser case from the first time I shot a deer rifle.
I hit the center X of a sight in target at 100 yards,,,
I was too short to sit at the bench so I stood behind it,,,
The gun knocked me right off of my feet but I still hit the bullseye.
A friend told me to take digital pictures of these kinds of treasures,,,
Make a small wallet sized print of each item and tack them to my wall.
It does make sense because I can still look at the shot-glass,,,
That I saved from my first date with my ex-wife,,,
It always evokes a great memory for me.
The reality is that my "stuff" only has meaning to me,,,
So a picture of it should do in lieu of the real item.
I don't want to burden the people who will have to handle my estate,,,
Best I say farewell to this stuff now and be done with it.
Now all I have to do is man up and do it!
Aarond
.
I was able to move all of my belongings in one Chevy Van load.
Now I have two haul-off dumpsters worth of just "stuff".
This has to be my summer project,,,
Getting ruthless and tossing things I've had for years.
Most of the things are just worthless junk that evoke a fond memory,,,
Like the empty 8mm Mauser case from the first time I shot a deer rifle.
I hit the center X of a sight in target at 100 yards,,,
I was too short to sit at the bench so I stood behind it,,,
The gun knocked me right off of my feet but I still hit the bullseye.
A friend told me to take digital pictures of these kinds of treasures,,,
Make a small wallet sized print of each item and tack them to my wall.
It does make sense because I can still look at the shot-glass,,,
That I saved from my first date with my ex-wife,,,
It always evokes a great memory for me.
The reality is that my "stuff" only has meaning to me,,,
So a picture of it should do in lieu of the real item.
I don't want to burden the people who will have to handle my estate,,,
Best I say farewell to this stuff now and be done with it.
Now all I have to do is man up and do it!
Aarond
.
The only tarp is the one she's going to roll your dead body in!
The only way to fix this is to sell - no, GIVE the bottom 30% of your babies to someone else. Let her see your generosity and your goodwill. Women love that stuff. I'll volunteer some safe space for your overflow.
Man, I love this site. Filled with such wonderful, loving and caring peeps!
Absolutely do NOT proceed!
I want to say I may or may not be older than you and I want to thin my stuff also.
I thought I could sell off a lot of firearms but election coming up I may want to keep them
if old Joe gets reelected i will bet the shooting stuff will get even higher.
Now my 2 sheds have a lot of stuff but to me it can be used.
Many oak cabinet doors.
Perfectly Working low hours dishwasher and clothes washer front load no issues with it and a dryer that needs a 20$ part.
80+ Carburetors. Chop saws and many welders and hood scoops, wheelie bars etc.
I even have a pipe rack in the back yard.
It's horrible
Outside the sheds is maybe worse.
Insulated metal roof panels and insulated wall panels stacked and waiting for me to find a use or build a better shed.
SO many tires and rims and bicycles.
I had a 76 corvette buried under fiberglass, my good fishing buddy never knew I had a corvette.
He had been in the shed dozens of times.
He owns that car now.
EDIT:
Tinkertanker beat me to my original comment, so I'll just throw in another thought. When the wife and I decided to sell our home and "stuff" and move into our RV full-time, we sold some stuff to relatives, had a couple or three garage sales, and donated a lot of stuff that we didn't figure many would spend money on. In reality, the more stuff we got rid of, the more liberated I felt.
Especially so after the sale of the house and property with absolutely NO NEED for lawn equipment.
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