[snuffles]

Do you feel that your family has too much 'stuff?' Do you feel that, as a general rule, we Aussies (or westernised cultures generally) have too much 'stuff'?

Do you feel that too much emphasis is placed on having/giving 'stuff'?



I am asking that because large amounts of stuff stress me out. I believe that it probably stems from being overindulged as a child, at least partly (mum grew up in a very poor family so wanted us to have what she didn't get to have). I honestly think that, if I lived alone, I could easily fit everything I want into a small shoebox apartment.

Yes this is kind of a spin off from one of the other threads here in WDYT.




So WDYT?

[Lyra]

Yes, this family has too much 'stuff' and yes as a culture we have too much 'stuff'

The amount of stuff and clutter in my house stresses me out in a big way. I think a lot of my anxiety about Christmas is all the crap that I am going to have to deal with, find places for etc etc

I am now trying to consume and buy less and to also give less. For Christmas this year I gave a lot of 'experience' gifts.

[~Supernova~]

Yep, definitely. I'm kinda glad I rent at the moment, because every time we move I throw out tonnes and give a lot away to people who need it more than us. The kids still have enough toys for 10 children though...

I specifically ask for no gifts for myself EVER. I don't need more crap piling up. DH buys me gifts, but he gets me stuff I really want and/or need.

[eyesabove]

I'm packing my house at the moment and despite being a conservative shopper who doesn't buy much and gives a lot away... I definitely have too much stuff.

I'm packing a small amount of things to live on for the next 12 months and the rest is being stored. I strongly feel that there will be entire boxes of things that I open after a year in storage and decide I no longer need. And that's after I've aggressively culled things for the last 6 months.

I'm reading David Ramsey's Financial Peace atm and I'm really, really thinking hard about stuff and why we buy it, responding to advertising and so on.

Its been an eye opening process for me.

[Unatheowl]

Yes, we have too much stuff here. I am surreptitiously chucking out and giving away toys bit by bit. The clutter also stresses me out.

Whe I first moved out of home I was so delighted to have my own "stuff" that I bought and accepted a lot of gifts from people getting rid of it . Now I'm a bit over it and we have stuff like towels that I forgot we had with price tags attached I'm definitely in declutter mode.

[Therese]

We have too much stuff as well. I managed to go through the house before Christmas and get rids of lots but there is still more that we don't need.

[-*meh*-]

yup... way to much stuff... we are tidying/culling post xmas atm...

thankfully my boys generally get lego lego and more lego so it just adds their collection which has a spot but i hate big bulky presents... i can't wait for their remote controlled things to go to their dads but atm it is banished to their rooms so i don't have to see it... i am gritting my teeth with lego stuff all over the floor as they have a "city" built atm...

[Natttmumm]

We have too much stuff. I have finally after 5 yr of complaining convinced DH to clean garage out.
I throw lots away

[Tigerdog]

I am asking that because large amounts of stuff stress me out.

Me too - I was apopleptic when I saw what my Mum was giving to my 2 DS' on Christmas (a full sack as big as they are in addition to the full one Santa gave them as well as wrapped presents from everyone!). For next year I'll be saving the bucks to do more experience-type things, my eldest boy is a 'doer' as opposed to being into 'stuff'. There was so much crap around on Christmas Day yet all the kids wanted to do was go across the road to play in the park!

I'm a chucker, I've gotten more this way over the years, eveyr time I've moved house, I'm addicted to it and it makes it easier just to keep things clean and tidy with less stuff.

This post has been edited by Tigerdog: 27/12/2012, 01:19 PM

[jojonbeanie]

I think an indicator of this is how many times you see homes built with double garages and the cars can't fit in them because of all the 'stuff'.