Filled a 20 yrd dumpster just the start at my parents hm they couldn't throw ANYTHING away. They saved empty jars, had boxes of boxes, empty bags of bags, broken things to "fix" someday, bits and pieces of carpet, rags, etc etc etc. What is up with this type of hoarding? Why couldn't they throw anything away? When they moved to retire they UP sized. This is both my parents but mainly my dad. They were young kids in the depression but please this is loads of junk and broken items. What do you do with a broken & taped up 5 gal bucket?!! Junk mail not even opened from years ago. And really who saves carbon copy paper?!! This is just the tip of the iceburg. Can anyone shed light on this and tell me why all this junk was saved?
If I have not appeared on
MY 600 POUND LIFE
INTERVENTION
HOARDERS
I must be doing ok! (My bar is set a little low)
SEX SENT ME TO THE ER!
Or the latest show:
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES OF AGEING CARE .COM
The funny thing is the most valuable (for me) things I found were some letters and photos from the early 19th century from family members. I was able to fill in some missing pieces from my family history that I had been wondering about. How can you attach a monetary value to that?
Your comments made me shoot Diet Coke out my nose I was laughing so hard. I watch "Hoarders" with a fierce love/hate relationship. Also my "600 pound Life". Hubby asks me why, since I watch almost no TV at all...I told him I am FASCINATED by the reasons people have these disorders.
When Mother lived in her "big house" she had a TON of stuff, always, Dad would just build another closet for her. Cleaning that place to size them down took us 3 years and a lot of trauma/tears/tantrums as Mother wanted to keep every single thing. Like I said, she grew up wealthy, even thru the Depression. Dad, who grew up very poor during the same time, was frugal and only kept what he needed and was always "using up, making do or going without". After he passed, 2 boxes held all his earthly possessions. When Mother goes....oh boy, what a job! Funny thing is: she kept "junk" in the house and beautiful old photo albums, papers that should have been gently preserved, etc. in the potting shed.
That's an almost unheard of concept today, when planned obsolescence and product upgrades (especially in electronics and vehicles) happen with so much closer frequency.
I remember when 90 days layaway was the only method to buy something if cash wasn't available. Now it's possible to go into debt many times over, buying new things rather than finding ways to use the existing ones. And coincidentally, massive disposal issues have been created, especially during the period before recycling became popular and now almost mandatory (especially in Washington, or so I've read).
I recall some many years ago that I did some research into the factors of (1) central banks in countries and (2) availability of credit cards, as they influenced the country's GNP and growth thereof. Wish I remembered what the specific findings were, but I'm sure there are plenty of studies at least as to the latter.
Did some quick research just now; although credits card did exist much earlier, perhaps the most effective development in creating extensive access and use was the concept of the revolving balance which didn't require payment in full but allowed balances to accumulate. Based on what I read, this occurred in 1959.
It's hard to conceive now of the principle that anything bought must be paid off within the next monthly credit card cycle and that no balances could be carried from month to month.
For retailers, credit cards are probably the greatest thing since sliced bread, and I expect played a major role into development of the planned obsolescence philosophy.
But for people who grew up in the Depression, the poverty influence was inculcated into their mindset. It's a long stretch from standing in a line to get a loaf of bread to buying a $50K or less car or massive gas guzzling truck and spending years to pay it off. Or buying a McMansion and never paying it off.
People of the Depression couldn't even pay for what they needed then, let alone be financially committed for years ahead.
After thinking about so much excess, I think I'm going to go dig out my old Mother Earth and New Shelter magazines and "think small", "think recycle", and "think building your own whatever you can." And plan my 2016 garden.
I believe the nation's personal debt mess wouldn't be where it is today if we never had credit cards. Spending became way too easy. Handing over actual paper money is more of a visual shock then handing over a credit card.
Other than major household expenses, like a new hot water heat or appliance or other major repair, I often think that those were much better days because we were forced to make important choices between what we needed and really didn't need.
I totally agree with you about the mess in consumer debt. Student loans also fall in that category.
What really blows my mind are the high-end consumer upgrades to housing - the replacement of things just because they're not stylish or fashionable, the waste of raw and processed materials for these upgrades, the massive houses with 2 furnaces and extensive square footage, the tremendous upkeep (not to mention drain on natural resources for the heating and cooling of such houses).
There was also a little store out in the country when I was a kid that had a big sign that proclaimed:
BIBLES
WORSHOES
GROCERIES
I mean what else does one really need........
And for those of us who are SS dependent on and understand the CPI, it's pretty clear that some restructuring takes place to create CPIs that don't support rise in SS payments. CPI is supposed to encompass a "typical basket" of goods and services", which if spread across all age ranges would include baby bottles to Kindles to wheelchairs and Hoyas. But I doubt there are many if any assistive devices or goods and services unique to the elderly that are factored in the CPI composition.
If you organize a revolt, count me in as a supporter. I'd love to see a return to more simple times, especially more simple economic times and more focus on what's important rather than what's stylist or "in".
That was one of the major, major objections I had to the prevailing economic theories - that the economy needs to continue to grow. Granted, the population grows, so the economy does need to grow to be able to provide goods and services. But the emphasis in many aspects of applied economic theory is on growth for the sake of growth.
I've often wondered how much this has affected some of the survival shows and pretended emphasis on learning to cope without all the bells and whistles of modern day society.
His kids room even though they are in mid 30s grown and gone with kids of their own .... he still has their clothes in closet they wore as children and posters up on wall they had as kids .CRAZY!!!
The WWII generation was raised with little to nothing. My maternal grandmother's family did have money and family all around, so I don't hear stories of them "doing without". My father's family--they struggled a lot. My grandmother (with zero complaining) took old suits and picked them apart and re-tailored them to fit my dad. After those suits wore out she made heavy quilts of them. Food was not wasted. Furniture was covered in doilies (I thought to make them "pretty") but in truth, they saved the arms and backs of couches and chairs. Grandma made all her own clothes into her late 80's. She made her own SOAP and used it for everything. (She would give in and buy Palmolive for us kids, our skin was just too soft for lye soap!). I think that was a generation that was tough, strong and amazing in so many ways.
My grandmothers were NOT hoarders, by any means. My mother is, and I have no idea why she always attaches so much sentimental value to EVERYTHING she gets. She has more than 30 scented candles in her bedroom alone. She's not allowed to light them since an incident last year. She won't give them away (they're HERS)....so we just keep packing up more stuff and putting it in the basement. Sadly, the really important things--granddad's papers upon entry to America at Ellis Island? Who knows? Old family pics? Who knows? A purple plastic desktop garbage can with a garish bow on top? Front and center on the kitchen counter. (sigh)
My Dad had just about every radio he had ever bought or made from scratch. Oh they all still worked [if you call getting one station as working]. Dad had to keep his old computers, never know when one needs to get material off of a "floppy disc". He finally got rid of a dot-matrix printer when he could no longer buy the required paper that had the holes running down both sides of the paper.
One thing puzzled me, all the tops from medicine bottles and milk cartons. Dad had to be saving them for some reason.... or maybe they were "trophies" from actually getting a child-proof bottle opened !!
furniture 40/ 60 years old, u were afraid to sit on it or use it !! for fear it would break, mold on walls !! carpet still in home from 1960s expecting me to be ok with living in a shack !!!!! one house had no washer or dryer/ no stove !!! need i say a walk in closet space, to use as ur bed room !!!