I was a hoarder my kids are minimalists
By rosyrose
@vickyrose (2236)
Cooma, Australia
February 11, 2017 3:50pm CST
There was no excuse to my hoarding.
It's gone now of course, I mean the stuff anyway.
Analysing why I had so many stuff, I didn't realise how much stuff I had when I downsized from a 5 bedroom house to a one bedroom flat, from a 9 member household to a 2. I was just too busy to cull as I was in full time work and my priority was to cook and feed the family. Of course when the 7 kids moved out, they left most of their stuff at my house.
It was a painful decision to get rid of things specially if they reminded you of pleasant memories. But I had to, otherwise I won't have space in my tiny flat. I'm still culling, the daughter was kind enough to lend her storage room for my stuff.
I'm glad that my kids became minimalists and didn't follow my example. They spend their money on non stuff items like travels, food, massages, joining charitable causes like a fun run, etc.
Are you a hoarder?
10 people like this
9 responses
@librarygeek1980 (3137)
• United States
11 Feb 17
My husband is the hoarder liKe his mother I'm the minimalist, because I wanna travel after the kids are grown I find more value in memories not things.
4 people like this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
11 Feb 17
I hope that he'll change his ways as the older you get, the harder it is to dispose of the stuff.
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
11 Feb 17
I was the same, I changed when I moved to a one bedroom unit where there's no place for extra stuff. The library is handy, so are the museums.. shops are handy, i just buy the essentials now ans just keep 10 pcs of each kind of item including clothes, linens, etc, that all what my storage can fit.
1 person likes this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
12 Feb 17
@JudyEv you'll do it when the time comes, but in the meantime, enjoy your life around those things that make you feel secure.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382457)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb 17
@vickyrose We're not looking forward to having to scale down either.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
11 Feb 17
I'm a minimalist but I didn't start out that way. After 19 years of marriage my husband decided he wanted to marry his childhood girlfriend so we divorced. I had to sell all of my art I'd collected, what little good jewelry I had, all my music CDs, my pewter dragon collection, a few beloved guitars, even my clothing to pay my attorney. My ex, his wife, and I are dear friends now but then it was all out war. I was sad to lose my beautiful things but gradually I came to love the freedom of having nothing but what I needed. I no longer worried about things breaking or getting lost or being stolen.
If I had to move right now I could fit everything that mattered to me in my Toyota and throw the rest in the trash. It's very liberating to be unencumbered and I don't plan to accumulate any possessions. Which is good, because I don't have any money to spare to do so! 
2 people like this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
12 Feb 17
I am almost the same now. I have three suitcases, aside from my books, I can pretty much fit everything in those suitcases. I have moved countries 4 times, so just imagine the amount of stuff that I either threw out of left behind. I believe that you're in the right track.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (53005)
• Mojave, California
11 Feb 17
Great post and good for you and your kids. I wish more would go the minimalist lifestyle. It would make life so much easier for everyone. I see my friends post on Facebook about their big houses and all their new stuff they bought. Just to see their next post that they have to work night and day 7 days a week to afford that stuff.
I never will understand why people like useless stuff so much and would rather work their lives away rather than actual living.
2 people like this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
11 Feb 17
I guess go through life, I came from a poor background and didn't have much stuff. On the other hand, I probably provided too much stuff for my kids to the point that they abhorred having too much. I so appreciate it now, that less is more...
1 person likes this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
12 Feb 17
I gathered the things of my kids, took a photo of them for my kids to decide what I'll do with them. They didn't want any of them, as they have bought their own stuff already. So all the school stuff I've kept for them, some are trophies and photos, I took photos then got rid of them. It's hard to part with some stuff, but I just have to.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91155)
• United States
11 Feb 17
I am definitely not a hoarder but my children do have boxes of things stored in my basement. The rest of my house is neat and tidy
2 people like this
@vickyrose (2236)
• Cooma, Australia
12 Feb 17
That's the way it should be. I've managed to keep our living areas free from clutter. It's hard to be tripping and stumbling on things, in my matured age.
@allknowing (153529)
• India
12 Feb 17
Your situation is understandable that you had people, literally people to cater to (lol)
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
11 Feb 17
Thankfully no one here has that problem. We really agree with 'less is more' when it comes to things.
2 people like this
