Simplifying my life Update...as if you really care.

[Telvis]

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently. I have decided that my life is way too complicated and needs to be simplified. I'm just wondering if any of you feel the same way. I am retired but it doesn't seem that way. I run two small businesses and support two households. I have more stuff than any one human should be allowed to have. I have so much stuff in fact that I have duplicates of things I never hardly use. I can't seem to get rid on anything. I am drowning in stuff I never use. I am definitely a pack rat. For example, I have three printers on my computer. One dua lpaper tray laser printer, one all in one laser printer and a color all in one printer. I won't even mention the photo printer and stand alone fax machine. I don't know why I decided I need all of those printers. I could go on and on with examples of things that I have and frankly have no justification for. I can hardly move in my garage partly because of stuff that I have collected and will probably never use. I decided yesterday that I am going to simplify my life. Nothing drastic. I'm not selling everything and moving to a commune or anything like that. I'm getting rid of all the junk that takes up space that I never really use. I have already started in my office. I took out one of the laser printers and got rid of a bunch of old papers and books I don't need. I'm going to throw away anyything that has no value and sell everything else on Ebay. It will be interesting to see how much I get for all of this junk. My sell pile is already substantial. By the time it's all over I think it will be huge. Once I get the house done I'm moving to the garage. I told my wife whatever we get out of this stuff we will use to remodel our master bathroom. I will keep a running total as things sell and keep you guys updated. I think it will be interesting to see how much money I have tied up in junk I never use. Stay tuned for updates!

[Darkness]

Hey, I hope it all works out for you. Making things simply is what we all need. Anyways, I hope you get what you want out of your stuff and good luck with remodeling the bathroom.

[dkn1997]

I misread you post at first and I thought it said you have been doing a lot of "drinking" recently and that's how you were simplifying your life!!  works for me!!! lol!!!

[Telvis]

At this point it's not as much about how much I get for the stuff. It's more about just getting rid of the stuff. I feel like i'm drowning it it all.   As far as selling the stuff goes. I really want to see how much I have wasted over the years with all this stuff I never use. When i went through my office I found software I had never opened. I found so many things that I bought but just put aside and never used. I have tons of stuff like that. I am a pack rat to the 10th power.   

[Telvis]

I misread you post at first and I thought it said you have been doing a lot of "drinking" recently and that's how you were simplifying your life!!   works for me!!! lol!!!

Nope..I don't drink much.  Thanks for the support anyhow.

[Troy]

Yep, I need to do the same but I can't find the time to sort out all the stuff I need to sell. I basically work a job and a half and try to see my family when I'm not working. Add in some time to work on cars and nothing ever gets done. With the holidays coming up I won't have time for anything at all. Maybe if I see all the money you're getting by doing this it will add some incentive to stay up an extra hour at night or something to mke progress...

Troy

[Charger_Fan]

At this point it's not as much about how much I get for the stuff. It's more about just getting rid of the stuff. I feel like i'm drowning it it all.  As far as selling the stuff goes. I really want to see how much I have wasted over the years with all this stuff I never use. When i went through my office I found software I had never opened. I found so many things that I bought but just put aside and never used. I have tons of stuff like that. I am a pack rat to the 10th power. 

So...you & CudaKen's wife would get along famously.

[TruckDriver]

Any spare Chargers or other old Mopars you wanna give away you guys

[Telvis]

Hey they say realizing the problem is half of the process of healing. I realize and admit I am a pack rat.   I am taking steps to fix the problem. I ahve to admit it's hard. I have been going through things. It's tough. I have real issues getting rid of things. One example is the fact that I have two pressure washers. Not two different pressure washers...two identical pressure washers. I bought one off ebay. It was a brand new Craftsman unit. I used it one time and the pump flew apart. The seller gave me most of my money back and I kept it. I ended up going to Sears and bought one there. I have kept the broken one thinking that I would have a new replacement engine and other parts if something happened to the good one. It's seems like good logic unitl you go into my lawn building and have to move around two pressure washers, two weed eaters, two leaf blowers......do you see where i'm going? I have duplicates of almost everything I own. I have two shop vac's, three Dremel tools, two cordless drills...I could go on and on. I'm not even mentioning the stuff I keep in the house or in my attic.   I'm clearing it all out. I'm getting rid of everything I don't need.

[Silver R/T]

good luck

[myk]

I read the first 2 sentences or so and I had to respond just to that.  You run 2 private businesses?  I know working stiffs, professionals that don't do even half that amount of work, so there's no way that you should consider yourself retired...Maybe if you actually retired?

[derailed]

I seem to have a similar problem. I sometimes pick up things that i dont really need or will seldom use only because I got a "good deal" on them, usually from somone that didnt really need them and was trying to get rid of stuff because they have the same problem were talking about. Mine ranges anywhere from drills to lawn mowers and im sure it would be cars if i had more space.

[Telvis]

Yep drailed i'm with you. I can't pass up a good deal. Especially on tools. I have also accumulated too many hobbies. I'm getting rid of all my hobbies except for my car. Then you get into the whole can't throw anything away philosophy. I grew up really poor. I always kept everything because I feared I might need it down the road and not have the money to buy it when I do. I have carried that into my adult life even when finances aren't that bad. I just have to force myself to throw things away. I made good progress this weekend. I'm continuing today and the rest of this week. I'm just clearing everything out. The garage will follow.

Myk, I retired from being a Police officer. Although my body feels worn out and abused I am still a fairly young man. I'm too young to completely retire. I couldn't even if I wanted to because my ex wife takes me for $800 a month in child support and I have to pay the health insurance for my children that totals $712 a month. Neither business is huge. I'm not getting rich from them. I'm just doing my part to keep the economy moving. I get to make my own hours and take off when I want. It's not a bad deal.

[73dodge]

2 words

garage sale!

[Old Moparz]

Hey Telvis,

Can you delete your name from this thread & put mine there?     

I know the feeling quite well about being overwhelmed & saving things. I can't wait until I get a dumpster, literally. I tried the ebay thing over a year ago, & guess what? It used up more time than you could imagine, & it didn't seem to be worth it. I could care less if & sell a damn thing anymore & would rather give it to someone I know or just donate it. Picking a category on ebay, writing up a description, taking photos, loading them & setting up the ad takes time I don't have. Hell, just answering idiotic questions & trying not to insult a potential buyer with more money than brains was the hardest. Dead beats are another story.

In the last 6 or 7 years, I helped a few people move or ended up clearing out a house. My mother sold her house & closed her business, so I had to clear out her house along with her warehouse. My wife & I had to clean out my mother-in-law's house after she died. Soon after, we had things we couldn't toss & dragged it home. Furniture, clothing, household junk, knick-knacks, old family heirlooms of no big value, except nobody can part with them. We put a big dent in all of it & got rid of things, but still need to get rid of more. I cringe when I come home & see new things in the house.

The last thing I came home to was a new, upright, piano for my daughter. I agreed to getting it & know it's an exception, but man that thing takes up a lot of space.     

Good luck with the ebay thing, maybe it'll go easier for you than me.
Bob

[Telvis]

I am planning to donate a lot of clothes and stuff like that. I was amazed that Goodwill and the salvation army won't come pick anything up anymore. They expect you to haul it to them. I'm also tossing a ton of stuff. I have a "sell" pile ready for Ebay. I'm going to start listing stuff this evening. We will see what happens. I think the wife and I are going to set up the outdoor firepit late tonight and burn a bunch of papers and stuff we don't want to toss in the trash. it feels pretty good to purge. I have a long way to go but I can already feel the burden lifting. I can't wait to clear out the garage!

[Charger Aficionado]

  Now I feel bad for selling you those two books of Mopar Glasses...  I DUG those!  Hey they sell for some $$$ Put them on ebay!!! :       http://cgi.ebay.com/Mopar-MasterParts-Collector-Glass-Set-Dodge-Plymouth_W0QQitemZ6579511906QQcategoryZ72192QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Lowprofile]

I have only one suggestion, Brother............

[SirNik73]

Hey Telvis. if you got stuff that you know won't sell but is still has value, you can always put it on craigslist.org (under the free section) people doing what your doing have saved my butt a few times thanks to craigslist when i was in a pinch and needed something that i knew some one would be throwing away.

[Telvis]

  Now I feel bad for selling you those two books of Mopar Glasses...   I DUG those!   Hey they sell for some $$$ Put them on ebay!!! :           http://cgi.ebay.com/Mopar-MasterParts-Collector-Glass-Set-Dodge-Plymouth_W0QQitemZ6579511906QQcategoryZ72192QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's funny you should mention those glasses. I have been dbating if I should sell or keep them. They are cool and I really like them but frankly I have no legitimate use for them. Right now I have them in a bowx in my attic. I will deal with them once I get there. I am going to avoid it as long as I can. It's amazing at how much junk I have. The worse part is I look at all this stuff and realize how much money I have wasted over the years on frivilous junk. Things are changing. I'm slowly starting to clear things out. Who knows I might even make a bit of money on this stuff.

[tin_soldier]

Whats your e-bay handle???  Want to see what you are parting with.   

[PURTBOY]

YEAH I NEED A GOOD DREMEL!!!!

[Telvis]

Whats your e-bay handle???   Want to see what you are parting with.     

waterisfun

[69_500]

I was thinking of doing the same thing now that I"m out of a job. I have made several trips up to the attic in the past week to look at stuff again. I think the last time I was up there I counted 40+ boxes of baseball cards, and at least as many boxes of toy cars.

[Telvis]

Well I have been at this simplifying thing a while now. I have sold off a bunch of junk I didn't need and tossed even more stuff. After a while it's just easier to toss it or donate it than try to sell it on Ebay. It's amazing how much better you feel when the clutter starts to diminish. I still have stuff to get rid of but I have definitely made a huge dent. The big massive aquarium should be gone this week. That will be a big relief. It has been my master for many years now. The next big project will be my garage. I still have three pallets of auto parts i was supposed to sell but haven't had time to go through them. Not to mention my Charger and all the various parts. Hopefully I can get all of the junk out of there in the next few months and have a place where I can start working on my car again. The charger is staying. I'm in It for the long haul. I just have to get rid of some of this crap I don't need. I have found brand new stuff that I have three or four of. I guess I would buy it thinking I would need it then buy it again later not realizing I already have it. The garage will be the worst case of that. I know I have duplicates of a ton of stuff. Anyhow that's what's happening. I'm slowly climbing out of this complicated mess.