How on earth do you do that/ The Stuff calls me constantly and even Dh who hates to shop at all has managed to collect a lot of stuff. We are in the process of getting rid of said stuff, but once you clear a spot more stuff appears

Watch Hoarders on AETV.com. It will put you off buying stuff for life.

http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/

I realised that when after my parents died. All the things they'd worked a lifetime for mostly went into a dumpster.

We only brought clothes and a few personal things...now every cupboard/closet is bursting open. I am now going through everything...getting ready to downsize.

I was annoyed last year when I found out many photographs and whatnot of a family member's home in England had just been thrown into the dumpster. I would have loved that stuff. So cavalier to just throw out a person's entire history.

My wife has a cousin who is a few years younger than she is. She lived in New Jersey for many years and worked in Manhattan, but now she has retired and has moved permanently to her condo in Florida.. She can play golf every day, and no more snow shoveling. She told us the other day that she is selling or throwing out all her NJ furniture and possessions since she'll be selling the house. Do we want anything? Well she has a beautiful old antique desk that had belonged to their grandmother.. My wife remembers looking through all the cubby holes and secret compartments when she was a child. However we are downsizing too, possibly moving to England.. Have to let the desk go.

No kidding? After almost 36 years!

Well we've gone back and forth a few times. Been here twenty one years this time so maybe time to go back (or is it forth?)

Mum had given quite a lot of things to my sister. I have some photos and a few momentoes. What else can you do when you live thousands of miles away? What do you think will happen to your belongings...especially if you don't have any children?

I have no intentions of taking any of my furniture when we move from this house. We have already furnished our condo in Toronto and our house in the UK...if we buy a place in Florida I would like different furniture.

This is so true. I lost everything in Hurricane Ivan 2004 except the stuff I took into shelter and it really didn't matter. When I went back to the destroyed house, the only thing that made it was a large box of photos and 4 wine glasses - what more did I need.

Having said that - our SC house now resembles an Aladdin's cave!

Yep - we just rented a dumpster ($800 for 10 days) and filled it with all the crap we've generated in just 9 years.

You have to be ruthless - the alternative is to become one of those compulsive hoarders you see on "reality" TV.