OK folks have you ever paused and thought about the amount of unnecessary

[malaise]

shopping you’ve done over the years.
In my case it’s not just me shopping, but siblings and others bringing stuff for me.
I have bedspreads and blankets that I have never used, bath mat and shower curtain sets that I have never used and will never use, yards and yards of beautiful cloth that I will never use. I stopped sewing years ago.
I met a young couple who moved into our neighborhood recently. They were at another neighbor’s BBQ.
I’m going to offer them some of this unopened household stuff.
The rest I’ll share with the folks who pick up our garbage and then I’ll leave some in bags at a bus stop nearby. I don’t trust most of the charities because of tales from friends who are donors.
It’s way past time to give away more stuff..

[True Dough]

1. Oh, malaise

My wife and I have moved several times. On each occasion, we purge and say, "Wow! How did we collect so much stuff?"

Then we continue to accumulate once again. It's bonkers (and don't tell my wife I said this, but I'm only responsible for about 15-20% of what comes through the door).

Anyway, nice of you to help out others with things that are no longer useful to you.

[malaise]

5. I believe you

😀

[Skittles]

2. nope

I have always HATED shopping and keep everything as long as I can.....I have clothes that are DECADES old. Older than a lot of the people I talk to!

[malaise]

3. And the truth is that I love most of my very old stuff

much more than the new stuff.

[Skittles]

6. YES!

the quality is MUCH better

I still have the T-shirt I wore in basic training 50 years ago and it was MADE IN THE USA. Still fits, too!

[malaise]

15. So true

Much better quality back in the day.

[littlemissmartypants]

24. Same!

[Lifeafter70]

8. Same here

I had to shop for a dress for my nieces wedding last month and cringed at what it cost.

[Skittles]

33. right??

total ripoff

[Lifeafter70]

38. I paid more for a dress I will probably never wear again

Than what I spent in the last two years on my entire wardrobe.

[leftieNanner]

42. Our daughter got married a few years ago

And I found my MOB dress at JC Penney!

[Lifeafter70]

43. Believe me I spent a lot of time looking for a dress

It had to match the suit that hubby already purchased. I looked a all the stores in the mall including Penny's. This was a country club affair. So dress was semi formal. Penny's was just as expensive as the smaller dress shops. I prefer simple lines and that was hard to find.

[cksmithy]

46. I got mine at Chico's

on sale.

[No Vested Interest]

79. I' ve saved my MOB dress from 12 yrs ago to be used as my burial outfit.

Could be any day or year soon. (I'm not particularly ill; just old...)

[Susan Calvin]

10. I'm the same about old stuff.

I never get rid of anything if it continues to serve the purpose for which I bought it. And in my mind I don't buy much new stuff, and I actually think I don't buy much new stuff compared to the majority of people. Nevertheless, little by little it accumulates.

[Figarosmom]

39. Me too. I still wear flannel shirts I bought in the late 70s

I still wear my Dad's football jersey. This year my daughter got me 2 flannel nightgowns from LL Bean to replace my old ones because the old ones had so many patches that they weren't holding anymore and would just tear at the seams.

When I have to buy something dressy , I usually go to St. Vincent's. Can find designer stuff there from the rich Italians in town.

I absolutely hate shopping for anything. But I do have a lot of stuff I inherited from friends and family when they died. Cedar chests, a tea pot collection and so much more. I have the trunk my grandma brought when she immigrated from Italy. And her souvenirs from the New York World's Fair. Stuff I can't give away and I have no clue what my daughter will do with them when I'm gone.

[Skittles]

40. a neighbor does that "FB Marketplace" thing

it is AMAZING the amount of junk people stop by to pick up

[malaise]

57. During my Christmas cleaning, I finally threw away he last gift mum bought me

way back in 1993 - a lovely robe- it was almost in tatters.

[Figarosmom]

59. Yeah. Don't you hate letting go?

One of my tattered flannel night gowns was one I bought my mom for her last Xmas. I really hated throwing it out but the fabric had gotten so thin it kept ripping. And patches just weren't holding up.

[malaise]

60. Indeed

I get it.

[Be The Light]

4. Give it to goodwill

they will also give you a IRS form so you can use it as a tax write off if you so choose.

[Ziggysmom]

7. I don't care for goodwill. Their CEO makes over 750 grand a year. I donate to the Capuchin run

homeless shelter & food program in Milwaukee. Unlike some other non-profit thrift stores , donated items are not re-sold. They go directly to those who need them most.

[Lifeafter70]

9. And they treat their employees badly

With low pay and long hours.

[Envirogal]

71. Find local thrift stores that have a local mission

Salvation Army at least has social services for veterans and those seeking addiction support, even after school programs. I have never been able to uncover exactly what Goodwill does in their mission statements of the “power of work”. EVERY thrift store offers work opportunities. I think they aren’t as good” as their name suggests. I think the public just uses it as a convenient path to solve a problem of getting rid of their old crap.

But giving to the thrift store system as a whole is not really “donations” since they get way more crap that they can’t sell. Using the IRS tax break is a scam for the crap that you couldn’t sell at a garage sale. And a lot of the old clothes you think you are donating end up being dumped on poor countries in the global secondary bulk clothing market causing enormous waste problems for them. It’s a HUGE issue that the public is clueless about.

I find using FB marketplace as well as giving it for free on sites like Buying Nothing work great. Sharing your old stuff with others for free is a wonderful solution. Heck, I put a box outside on my lawn right next to the sidewalk marked “free”. It’s a wonderful surprise as to what people will take if given the opportunity and for free.

[Deuxcents]

11. I don't shop much at all anymore..only necessary items but a good rule I try to follow is..one new, two to go

Either to someone I know that could use it or to a little one room church closer to town that seems to need everything! It’s crazy how much we accumulate without even realizing it so let’s recycle ♻️

[malaise]

14. Same here

Last edited Sat Mar 14, 2026, 05:30 PM - Edit history (1)

I only replace stuff than finally dies - like my coffee maker which was eons old. Word is that none of the new ones will last as long as tge last one.

[fierywoman]

32. Try a hand pour pour-over? Never breaks, cheap as it comes, you'll never drink old coffee again!

As for give-aways: Think of the joy your stuff can give someone! Do you have somewhere that supports women who've left abusive relationships? ... or political refugees?

Re the fabric: you mean you don't have the coffee mug that says: "She who dies with the most fabric wins" ?

[Dixiegrrrl]

69. Thank you!!!!!

You just gave me the perfect gift for a sewing friend!
Found the mugs at several places online....😸

[Skittles]

34. and nothing is made to be fixed

just replaced by more easily breakable stuff

[cksmithy]

47. Get a percolator, they last forever. You have to adjust the coffee amount and still use a filter,

with a small hole you cut in the center, but the coffee tastes sp good, better than Mr. Coffee machines. My MILs always had a peculator. It's very old school but it is well worth it.

[Goonch]

12. ;-{)......

[malaise]

13. Bwaaaah for the home sweet hoard😂

Still seriously I’m thinking about hoarding emergency food with these lunatics in charge.

[Marthe48]

19. How'd you get a picture of my house!?

[malaise]

26. Haha

Looks like one of my BIL’s garage😀

[littlemissmartypants]

27. Hahaha! Are these masterpieces your creations, Goonch? ❤️👋

[Katinfl]

16. Good for you. They will probably be so thankful.

We really downsized when we moved a year ago. Fortunately, I have always purged stuff I did not want/need so I did not have too much of a problem. i donate things I don’t need and i always shop the thrift stores. I know a few friends that cannot, or will not, part with things. I have been to too many estate sales to see where your “treasures” end up. People pawing through your “stuff” and it would be humiliating to me. Rule of thumb…….something comes in, something goes out. works for me.

[peppertree]

17. Brings to mind certain (low-budget) cinematic imagery...

Hey. When it comes to '80s cheese - it's the cheesiest.

[malaise]

20. You win the thread - Bwaaaah for an arm and a leg

[peppertree]

25. Why, thank you malaise.

Fun fact: While the movie and the mall it was filmed in (the Sherman Oaks Galleria) is widely identified with the Reagan years, it was actually built during the "malaise" days of Jimmy Carter (opened in 1980).

Another fun fact? The movie was released 40 years ago today.

Time flies!

[malaise]

28. Amazing fun facts

😀

[peppertree]

31. Thanks!

The mall scene in Schwarzenegger's Commando (where he lifts a phone booth - with the villain in it - off the ground) was also filmed there.

Sadly, they remodeled that mall in the late '90s. I'd visit sometimes during my L.A. days in the 2000s.

I miss California.

[AverageOldGuy]

18. Quilters

My wife (83) is a lifelong hand quilter, having learned the art from age 6 when she went to church quilters with her mother and grandmother.

Every stitch goes in by hand. None of this sewing machine or long-arm quilting machine.

Quilters say the one who dies with the most fabric wins. She’s somewhere in the top ten nationwide.

[malaise]

22. My oldest sibling is a quilter

I know e at Lyon what you mean.
She had more cloth than Joann Fabrics and she’s still in business.😀

[littlemissmartypants]

29. Respect!!🪡🧵🏆

[Goonch]

21. ;-{) WAR PREPPING

[malaise]

23. Hehehe

😂

[littlemissmartypants]

30. I take things to the road in front of the farm. I have a sign that says "free" and magically they disappear.

One day I watched a woman loading up her trunk with blankets and space heaters. She never saw me.

[malaise]

35. For years I used to leave stuff outside a family owned supermarket

An old lady told me years later that she and her co-workers across the street used to look out for me and a few other folks during the Christmas holidays because we didn’t give away rubbish.

[littlemissmartypants]

41. Know exactly what you mean. I try to make sure that they're things people would need. I'm also dealing with the ...

Things that belonged to my deceased parents. Definitely no junk there. I haven't even started on the two barns on the farm. That's on my list for this summer. ❤️

[malaise]

44. I gave a niece something mum gave me

Last edited Sat Mar 14, 2026, 07:02 PM - Edit history (1)

and told her to pass it on when she reached my age. She was delighted. A nephew called me since and said he wants my two paintings that mum did after dad died. I was delighted. They don’t want the cutlery and that kind of stuff but there are things they want like recipes and paintings.

[littlemissmartypants]

48. Great ideas! Thanks, malaise.❤️

[BurnDoubt]

36. As I'm sending this...

I am procrasterbating instead of digging out of my own hoard of construction odds-and-ends I set aside to do “projects” in my reclining years.
The years are here, but the passion has fled. My mission now is to get rid of it all so my Lovely Wife doesn’t inherit my trove.
I’ll keep the guitars, though. That’s the hill on which I would now prefer to die.

“If i’m late, don’t wait.
Go on without me.
I may tarry awhile.
I mean to know, before I go,
How come the Devil does smile.”
Jesse Winchester

[Niagara]

37. I know that we all have stuff

Sometimes I feel like I might be a low level hoarder.


I'm making small steps and I recently donated pottery teapot, creamer and sugar serving set several weeks ago. Along with some other items.







I just donated some clothing to Hearts for the Homeless. It was a small bag but..... I did it! I have much more clothing to go.


The Salvation Army thrift stores have closed three of their buildings in my area. I read that The Salvation Army is facing significant financial difficulties mainly from rising operational costs, declined grant funding and declining donations.


It's too bad because they provide food pantries and shelters for those who need it. I hope that they survive this crisis.

[malaise]

45. I am a serial hoarder of pottery

particularly teapots and other designs by indigenous folks in our region
The tops of my cupboards are full of them. It doesn’t help that one of my sisters has also been making teapots for decades.
As we say here “dawg nyam mi suppa”when the big earthquake comes because they sure will be crashing down.

[Niagara]

52. I'm a serial hoarder of vintage cake stands and Indiana Glass

I actually garbage picked this teapot set last fall that I just donated.

I was scanning stuff that I could easily part with and the teapot set was the selected item. I'm still hoping that I saved it from the landfill as this set is still at Goodwill and ready for a forever home.

I know how difficult it is to declutter sentimental items.

I hope that you enjoy your teapots for many more years without the big earthquake making them crash down.

[malaise]

53. LOL

Indeed - parting with sentimental stuff is not such sweet sorrow😀

[malaise]

85. I never give to the Salvation Army

I avoid religious charities

[rickford66]

49. Leaving tings at a bus stop might invite a visit from the bomb squad.

[malaise]

55. Not where I live

😀

[rickford66]

66. Why ?

Packages left like that are usually treated as suspicions. Just saying.

[Cirsium]

50. I wish

Working on the farm for $16,000 a year there wasn't any discretionary spending happening. That was 10 years ago, but since income in the county for over half of the households is under $35,000 today, and most households have at least 2 people working, I don't think it has changed much since I retired. We do have an increasing number of remote tech workers doing whatever it is they do for their 6 figure salaries pushing rents up.

[SheltieLover]

51. I've never been one to shop much.

Great idea to clear clutter by gifting to others!

[vapor2]

54. HA ! Had a Waterford comforter that was a steal and never opened

for about 2 yrs so gave to my brother in law who loves it!

[malaise]

62. Love it

Pass it on

[CrispyQ]

56. I found a local group of families who lost their homes in a wildfire.

The gratitude was heart wrenching but so satisfying.

[malaise]

63. Everyone in my circle gave stuff to hurricane victims

but many haven’t replaced their homes yet so giving them stuff like this doesn’t make sense at this time.

[Bayard]

58. Its taken me years to clean out the garage

I had two big rental garages in Calif. that were packed. Moved it all here after we built a big new garage. There's still a lot in there I just don't know what to do with....like huge family photo albums my mother had. I have no idea who most of the people in these old black and white photos are. My brother ended up with just as many, and his kids have no interest in them.

I also have a really hard time letting go of anything my family gave me when they were alive....parents, two sisters, and a brother. I realized the other day when I pulled on a sweater my sister had given me after she tired of it that it had to be more than 40 years old. Still in good shape, still pretty.

I did give away a ton of stuff to a guy that used to do odd jobs for us--clothes, furniture, bedspreads, etc.--even the wedding dress and hat from my first marriage! He has several daughters. I gave that dress away with no hesitation, but have hung on to my sister's maid-of-honor dress.

There has been a problem in our area with items being donated to charities ending up in yard sales.

[malaise]

61. They should keep the family photos

My grand nieces and nephews love them.
I’m so glad we were able to identify who was who over the years.
Dad’s youngest sister and her best friend were great. And mum’s uncle was very close to us.

[BeneteauBum]

64. I live in a boating community

A lot of families appear to be near the poverty line, especially the ones with kids. We have a ‘free table’ where anyone can leave items to be reused. Most items rarely last more than a couple of hours. A particular mom was seen wearing my castoff red, green, black, and gold hoodie this winter…..just kind of lit me up inside.

We are one large family here and most of us try to get along and help those in need. There are a few exceptions however……and they seem to be extremely unhappy individuals.

Peace ☮️

[malaise]

65. To borrow from anotherDUer

You made me smile😀

[BeneteauBum]

81. Glad to give you a moment of happiness.

One Love, One Heart

Peace ☮️

[SuzannaD]

67. Another place to donate to

I don't know if there's an animal shelter near you, but the bedspreads, blankets and bath mats are useful in the kennels as beds. I just took a whole bunch of these to our local shelter and they were so grateful to have them.

[malaise]

68. Great idea

Rec

[TBF]

73. good idea! I'm going to see if I can do this. nt

[Collimator]

70. "Buy Nothing" groups can be an alternative to questionable. . .

. . . charities and Face Book marketplace.

As a student of anthropology, I have often contemplated how much stuff, (or material goods, to put it in more scholarly terms), has been created and discarded over the millennia. Of course, prior to the Industrial Revolution, the scale of production was bound by the limits of human labor.

It's just a weird thought experiment to consider that every single physical thing-- be it a dish or spoon or ladle, to say nothing of clothes and personal care items-- that has ever been fashioned and used by billions of humans over the centuries had to go somewhere eventually. Some of it ended up in museums, obviously, but other belongings, like linen undergarments from the Victorian era, were torn up and incorporated into fields to enrich the soil. Anything made of wood could have been burned, of course, and metal pieces melted down and reformed.

For every archaeological find of some preserved artifact, there must have been a dozen or more similar things that were either hastily or painstakingly crafted and which simply no longer exist. And yet, according to the First Law of Thermodynamics, every atom must be accounted for. . . As I said, weird thoughts.

[llmart]

75. The stuff of today mostly ends up in a landfill.

I'm a rabid environmentalist and it pains me to no end to see all the stuff people think they need to be content in life. It's a good part of the reason that so many Americans are depressed or unsatisfied or just plain miserable humans. We've been programmed to think we just have to have the lastest thing and the truth is we don't. In this country shopping is a recreational sport. I have always despised shopping. People who come into my house and who know me as a minimalist are often quite surprised at how attractive/homey/inviting it is. They think I live like a monk or something. Minimalism doesn't mean you have nothing. If you're introspective, every stage of life should have you reexamining how you live and why. At 77 years old, my goal is to die with very few belongings, all of which are in good shape so they can be given away easily and so my son doesn't have to spend a year of his life going through it.

I am a realist. I take care of my belongings to the best of my ability and am grateful for what I've had or have now. When I know I'm not using something I usually find someone who could use it and give it away or I sell it for next to nothing on Facebook Marketplace or craigslist. Most every person I've dealt with has been just thrilled to get my items. I remember one couple where I had a refrigerator that was in perfect working order and clean inside and out that bought it from craigslist. When they were leaving the husband said to me, "Is all your stuff always this clean?" and I said, "yes, I take care of my belongings". Many decades ago when I knew I was no longer going to have any more children, I gave all my really nice baby furniture to a woman whose husband died of cancer when she was pregnant and she had no idea how she was going to pay for a crib or play pen. I didn't even know the woman - had just heard about her from a neighbor.

[Woodwizard]

72. I love tools and use them

I have a really hard time when I see a piece of machinery listed cheap of not getting it, I already have everything I need in my shop. 15 year old me would be drooling.

When I go to our transfer station lots of times there are tools and machinery in the pile, I take them and repair if needed and give them to other friends that can put them to use. So much stuff goes to waste.

Many machines I have are older than me and I am 61. Got a 1700 lb 13" 1946 south bend metal lathe for the price of getting it out of the building it was in. Works fine, though I usually us my smaller lathe for most machining.

[malaise]

74. I don't give away tools but there will be no new ones

I am giving away dozens of power cords/main cables.
When the hell did I accumulate all this stuff I will never use.

[Trueblue Texan]

76. My house has been stuffed with items from 3 different households for several years...

My daughter's stuff, our stuff from our house in the country and another place we rented here in town before we bought the house we currently live in. It has been a mess organizing it all and in the past couple of years, I've taken to putting items on the curb. There is an apartment complex down the street and neighbors are always in need of some household items that are redundant here under this roof. It feels good to help others and it feels good to clear out stuff we don't need. Win-win.

[malaise]

77. Love it

Rec

[Old Crank]

78. One advantage of moving.

We really cut down when we moved to Germany nearly 11 years ago. We have moved twice since. That has cut down some of the new accumulation. But it is a constant battle. My kitchen right now is in the if I get something new then something else has to go. If I don't use it at least once a year, out is goes.
My biggest problem is clothes. I have to cover seasons here. Not so much in the SF bay area.

[malaise]

82. We really save on clothes

although Jan and Feb were colder than usual.

[littlemissmartypants]

80. I remembered that I have an idea that can be used to

Share unused fancy glassware if you're interested. I take a glass ( sometimes I put themed confetti inside) and I decorate it with a ribbon and attach a card as a wedding gift that says...

This is your peace glass. In the event of an argument, fill the glass with water and present it to your love. When it is accepted you'll know that you've been forgiven.

❤️👋

[malaise]

83. Great idea

😀

[TexasBushwhacker]

84. Try the Freebie App

Where you can list stuff.

[Luciferous]

86. Yep, we are moving soon and I'm

using it as an opportunity to get rid of a lot of stuff.