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)
That need to save served my folks well, in that they started from NOTHING and amassed enough money to take care of themselves well during their lifetime, while leaving a nice nest egg for me too. So I respect that desire to save!
Perhaps you might try to read more about what it was like during the Depression - living in cold houses because you couldn't afford heat, standing in bread lines and being embarrassed because you were so poor.
The cold weather is especially difficult. If you live in a cold area, try turning off your furnace for a few weeks this winter and see what it's like. You'll begin to search your house for blankets and anything to keep you warm. Then imagine that people who survived the Depression had to do this for more than a few weeks - it was all winter.
Have you ever gone to a food handout for poorer people? Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for people to stand in line to get food?
Remember the social safety nets that are available now didn't exist then.
If you didn't save something, you might never be able to afford to buy it again.
The Depression and the compromises necessary during WWII are events that formed survivors' outlooks for the rest of their lives. Younger people today often can't even begin to comprehend the sacrifices that had to be made during those earlier periods.
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?
This was practical good sense which is very different from hoarding which is usually an actual mental illness.
See All Answers