Hoarders ~
The Economy and The Art Of Saving Everything
In 2009, a national pack rat survey conducted by Smead found that about 30% of people reported keeping things longer than they should and that 20% of the population considered themselves pack rats. I get that. There have been times in my life where the cash didn’t flow so freely, and it was harder to throw away things that are pretty easy to either throw away or give to someone else in the fuller pocket years. I think we have all been there. But there are some people who are always pack rats. No matter what. They just have to keep it.
A Holiday For Hoarders?
May 17th is National Pack Rat Day. I am not really sure that there should be a holiday set aside to celebrate hoarders and hoarding tendencies, but you know how it is. There is a holiday for everything. Hmmm…I wonder if there is a holiday for fly swatting? Anyway, how about we celebrate the hoarding holiday by NOT hoarding. Set that remote down and get off the couch today and throw away something. Anything. Just get the ball rolling. Even if you don’t consider yourself a pack rat, you know you have some area in your house that would make the young ones gasp in horror. Get to cleaning. 😉
Need Help With Organization?
According to the Smead Survey, 70% of people stated that they needed help with organization. They offer free organizational tips on their website to help you get started. You can also get tips on organization from Matt Paxton’s Clutter Cleaner business. They can even come in and clean up the most righteous of hoarder messes for you {if you live in their area} and give you tips on how not to find yourself in that situation again in the future. Check out their “Hoarding Education” section for more info.
Learn More About Hoarding
If you would like to learn more about hoarding, be sure to check out my interview with Matt Paxton from Hoarders. He has worked in some of the worst hoarding houses and has really seen it all. No matter what your house looks like, I seriously doubt you could shock this guy even if you tried.
What Kind Of Stuff Do You Hold Onto Longer Than You Should?
Not like the show hoarders but it is amazing how we accumulate things over the years. My mother was a pack rat…attic full, storage full. I’m not that bad, but I keep way more than I should. Sentimental value plays a huge part. I just can’t get rid of some things. It just becomes easier to keep things as time goes on. We did some spring cleaning, but I hope to do more.
Good luck in your efforts to de-clutter. You are right. It can be quite difficult to let things go.
Omg I have an aunt who could be on extreme hoarders show. Luckily, she is a clean pack ratter. She doesnt hoard food or garbage or unsanitary items. Lots of paper and plastic stuff and clothes. Stuff is stacked literally to the ceiling and she has a two foot wide path thru it to get from one end of the house to the other. Guess who is going to have to go thru all of it when she passes. How much are dumpster rentals?
Oh my gosh. I would definitely hate to be the one to have to go through a deceased relatives hoard.
I have no idea how much dumpster rentals are. If I were you, I would definitely find out – and decide whether cleaning that house out is worth the cost involved, too. 🙁
I am hoping to find some old Beatles memorabilia that I know is in there somewhere, lol, that’s terrible to say, but maybe that will make the clean out worth it.
Lol! Good luck!
I can’t believe how quickly stuff accumulates and multiplies. Thanks for reminding us to not hoard. I hate junk and try very hard to clean out the stuff regularly (but it doesn’t seem like I make much progress many times!)
I hold on to clothes. It’s bad! I have so much that I never wear, and someone else could probably use it.
That’s definitely something I need to go through. I REALLY need to get rid of some clothes.
My sister and brother in law are such pack rats it’s terrible!! And annoying.
I am embarrassed to even comment here, because I am on the edge of hoarding. It’s so hard for me to part with the kids’ toys and clothes! I need to CLEAN OUT this summer!
You can do it! You got this!
I am a total pack-rat. I can’t throw anything away. I’m POSITIVE that the second I throw something out, I will reliaze that I need it desperately!
I am like that at times. It can be very hard not to be.
I need some of those organization tips for my home and yard!
I am such a total rack pat!! I hoard everything. It is a problem-lol!
The terms packrat and hoarding can sometimes depend on the stuff being collected. All museums are hoarders and packrats. At one time on a large farm, we had lots of room in the barn and attic, and possessions were harder to come by.
I know that when I was a child, people that we would refer to as hoarders today were referred to as pack rats then. I think it has to do with different regions and cultures, too.
I definitely keep my Mail a lot longer than I should, need to get a Shredder. And I do have some areas that I need to look into, like keeping Samples, I guess I am a Sample Hoarder, I know that there are a lot worse things out there. But some organization in my life would help. So thanks for the post and I will check into some organization posts.
I have a shredder and still keep mail too long, lol. Like you, I also love samples. I have one box I keep them all in and use them on vacation {the health and beauty ones}. That is WAY easier than packing shampoo, etc. 🙂