Peckish

I think a lot of this mindset is generational. My grandparents are in their late 80's and early 90's, and had borderline hoarding tendencies because of their experience with the Great Depression. My mom is 68 and, because she was raised by Depression babies, is also reluctant to part with anything. As a result, when Grandma & Grandpa recently moved into a retirement home, cleaning out their house and taking stuff to the dump fell to me. Mom kept trying to put a value on items that nobody wanted - not family, not neighbors, not garage-salers. My grandparents didn't buy "nice" things; they bought used, cheap things and saved their money. I'm actually thankful for this, because they can now afford the $8000+ a month it's costing them to live in the retirement home. But most of their possessions ended up going to the dump. I did keep a couple of items, and a few knick-knacks that were precious to me because they brought back childhood memories.

Having to go through all the years of stuff my grandparents saved made me realize just how much crap I have that is just that - crap. Clothing I haven't worn since my first baby was born. Sentimental stuff like the extra wedding invitations left over from our wedding, why am I holding on to that?? I framed one and tossed the rest. Then there's all the junk that people give me because they can't bring themselves to throw it out. My mom gave me a recipe box that my great-grandmother had since high school, I think she may have even made it. Well, I had never seen it before, so it meant nothing to me and out it went. It's amazing how liberating it is to have breathable space in my house.