Could you do a Maria Kondo?
Could you do a Maria Kondo?

Poll: Could you do a Maria Kondo?

Total Members Polled: 61

I want more stuff: 7%
I’m happy with what I have: 23%
I want less stuff: 70%
Author
Discussion

Skeptisk

Original Poster:

8,897 posts

138 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
When my wife and I first got together our worldly belongings fitted into one rucksack and one suitcase. That was perhaps a little too light.

We just moved and somehow we now have 45 cubic metres of “stuff” (not including vehicles). However, how much of that is necessary and how much actually gets used?

When we moved to NZ I spend the first four months there alone and all I had was what could fit into two suitcases. Similarly I spent about 8 months here in DK with just two suitcases. It felt quite liberating.

I would quite happily jettison a lot of what we have but my wife disagrees.

If you could, would you downsize your belongings?

MikeM6

6,031 posts

131 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Tricky, I want less of my wife's stuff she has collected over the years, and admittedly I would like to replace some of my stuff with fewer, better quality things.

Actually getting rid of things does seem to fall down the priority list though.

vikingaero

13,181 posts

198 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
MikeM6 said:
Tricky, I want less of my wife's stuff she has collected over the years, and admittedly I would like to replace some of my stuff with fewer, better quality things.

Actually getting rid of things does seem to fall down the priority list though.
I've been giving things away for free on Facebook Marketplace. That's a whole mindfk of its own.. But I've worked out how to make it work for me - someone said they wanted the 2 laptop sleeves I had advertised. What they actually got was 4 laptop sleeves as I put a couple of smaller ones inside the larger ones.

Quality works up to a point. For example I do a lot a caving/mine exploring/digging and I need a decent supply of worn/ste clothes.

CrgT16

2,523 posts

137 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
I had a house fire 6 years ago and lost everything I had…. I have more stuff now then then. It just appears out of nowhere!

sociopath

3,433 posts

95 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
There's no poll option for "who or what the fk is a Maria Kondo"

V8covin

10,113 posts

222 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
sociopath said:
There's no poll option for "who or what the fk is a Maria Kondo"
Google tells me it's Marie Kondo.
OP must do better

Bill

58,574 posts

284 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
I read it as Mario Kondo, which seemed an odd theme for the popular gaming franchise!

grumbledoak

32,566 posts

262 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all


I have no tolerance for clutter.

I have moved a few times. Each time I do the "keep, bin, maybe" bin bag game (you throw out two of them). Even so, I often found more after each move - there is nothing like hefting some unused golf clubs into storage for the third time to make you realize you should have chucked the stupid things out years ago.

Googling Marie Kondo now.

Last Visit

3,666 posts

217 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Marie Kondo said:
Kondo advises to start the process of tidying up by "quickly and completely" discarding whatever it is in the house that doesn't spark joy.
Best tell my wife her extensive cushion collection that she puts on the bed every single day when we get up has its days numbered.

V8covin

10,113 posts

222 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Last Visit said:
Best tell my wife her extensive cushion collection that she puts on the bed every single day when we get up has its days numbered.
Why do women do that ?
Having to chuck a dozen cushions on the floor before getting into bed every night is nonsensical

trashbat

6,298 posts

182 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
"Doing a Marie Kondo" in 2023 means giving up on tidying your house because you've got better things to do.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/...

So yes, I absolutely could do that.

Kes Arevo

3,555 posts

68 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
V8covin said:
Why do women do that ?
Having to chuck a dozen cushions on the floor before getting into bed every night is nonsensical
It's not as if anyone else really sees the bedroom either.

Don1

16,770 posts

237 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
No. I don't do clutter, but I do collect things - cars, guitars, Zippos, watches etc. I shoot as well, if there was a house fire, I wouldn't be happy.

A few irreplaceable things.

PositronicRay

28,951 posts

212 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
We follow William Morris's guidelines

" never have anything in your house that you do not believe to be beautiful or know to be useful"

I just need some shed and wardrobe guidelines now.

languagetimothy

1,779 posts

191 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
I don’t like having things that I don’t use or need or “that might be useful someday” or trinkets.

When I moved from the UK to EU out of a three bad house I didn’t take any white goods, beds or sofas and only a few bits of furniture (dismantled dining table, bureau couple of other bits). It gave me a chance to go through my clothes too.

Everything I took including 12 guitars and a few amps just about filed a third of a Luton van.

Obviously once here I bought white goods, sofa, beds.

I don’t like clutter.



king arthur

7,867 posts

290 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
PositronicRay said:
We follow William Morris's guidelines

" never have anything in your house that you do not believe to be beautiful or know to be useful"
That's the missus out on her arse then....

CanAm

13,901 posts

301 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
V8covin said:
Last Visit said:
Best tell my wife her extensive cushion collection that she puts on the bed every single day when we get up has its days numbered.
Why do women do that ?
Having to chuck a dozen cushions on the floor before getting into bed every night is nonsensical
I think it all started when interior designers started “staging” bedrooms with a strip of cloth (looking like a big scarf) across the foot of the bed. Then others saw that and said, “Hold my beer” (well, Chardonnay more likely).
As you say, totally nonsensical and, moreover, bloody annoying.

Byker28i

91,141 posts

246 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
When we bought our other house, we started from scratch. Amazing how little you actually need in life, echoed by clearing out the old family home of junk that just went in the loft etc prior to sale.

Last Visit

3,666 posts

217 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
V8covin said:
Last Visit said:
Best tell my wife her extensive cushion collection that she puts on the bed every single day when we get up has its days numbered.
Why do women do that ?
Having to chuck a dozen cushions on the floor before getting into bed every night is nonsensical
No idea.

But I'm more annoyed by the fact I trip over them in the night going for a piss than their day time presence back on the bed!

boyse7en

8,167 posts

194 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
I often look around the house and despair at the sheer amount of stuff we have lying around.
But when it actually comes to getting rid of it, it is difficult as we have lots of hobbies and interests so have all the accompanying bits and bobs that go with it. The only thing i seem to collect is bits of wood that will "come in useful" one day. It is a very satisfying feeling to need a shelf and be able to find a piece of oak floorboard that is just the right size after having it in the shed for 15 years...