<p>Another bag this weekend. </p>
<p>Very frustrated this weekend. Although I had started to sort the vhs tapes a week ago or so, H decided to get involved. Yes, you know what that means. Every flippinâ vhs tape went in the giant container. And NOW he wants to add them to the family room because we might want to watch them! 99% are Disney movies from the early 90s.</p>
<p>Funny! I went to my charity thrift store today and someone donated at least 20 Disney VHS tapes!</p>
<p>I just caught up with this thread again and it was the motivation I needed to attack a bin of paperwork that I have been avoiding and stressing over since before the holidays. Every paper was acted on, filed or tossed! I feel so relieved and ready to tackle the next project.</p>
<p>Whew! I had a GREAT day, actually two days, getting rid of some stuff in the attic and more papers. After coming back from Goodwill, I was in the garage organizing, but I had to go in. Just too cold. So hereâs a question: my dh seems to save original boxes in the attic, especially boxes for the electronics. Should I toss them or look the other way?</p>
<p>psychmomma, I love your story about your Disney vhs tapes. I got rid of mine years ago (and never regretted).</p>
<p>Oh God. We had original boxes for all of our electronics too because âwe might have to send them backâ. WellâŠwe have been married for almost 33 years and have NEVER sent anything back in the original packing. I told DH this, and the next week, he took it all to the dump including a bunch of boxes for items we havenât had in years!</p>
<p>H has become a new person since visiting his 92 year old mother last Oct. She hired an organizer and still he sent me pictures to show what a mess and how there was toooo much around. Best therapy ever as he now is willing to let go of those boxes after a few months. Letâs face it, most were not that much money and not worth dealing with if they breakâsuch as the new printer or alarm clock orâŠ</p>
<p>We are re-organizing a lot of things. Was finally able to organize some of the many things I just never got around to. H is tossing software for windows 1995! Pecan you tell we donât clean and purge nearly enough? It feels good to mark steady progress together. </p>
<p>H asked me where I wanted to put the 3rd printer (which works sporadically on a good day) and I said, donate. We have two excellent printers, why do we want one that rarely works properly, taking up our valuable, limited space? He agreed and is hunting for the parts & software that go with it to donate as well. </p>
<p>We are also giving away our Europe travel books for the trip we cancelled in 2010. If we go, we will buy them later. </p>
<p>Am delighted that things are getting organized! Found $250 in gift cards during the clean up!</p>
<p>The VHS tapes are gone. The bag was only half full, but it weighed a ton. Thanks for the encouragement.</p>
<p>Two more bags out yesterday. Iâm working on excess clothes first, lots of the kids old things. As soon as I get through the closets, I plan on hitting the garage. My goal is to be able to park a car there.</p>
<p>Ha ha â park a car in the garage; what a concept. That is my goal too. When we moved into our new house in October 2012, we had the movers put in the garage all sorts of stuff that we werenât sure had a place in the house. Eighteen months later, it still doesnât have a place in the house. Some of it is good, solid furniture that wonât bring a penny on craigslist; I suspect Iâll have to Freecycle it, which is a shame but better than having it live in the garage until it falls apart. But Iâm going to wait until spring to do that. Too cold right now.</p>
<p>A few comments on the VHS tapesâif you havenât watched a VHS movie for a while, you may be surprised how bad they look even compared to a regular DVD. You are not going to want to transfer VHS movies to DVDâthey just wonât look that good. The exception will be home movies or things that just donât exist except on VHS. (Note: the same is true of all those old vinyl records you haveâmost of them should go, too. The gizmo you can use to transfer them works well, but itâs very time-consuming, and the result doesnât sound all that great. Itâs only worth it for unusual stuff, like the record that was made of the All-State Band.)</p>
<p>HImomâŠsame advice about that printer. Call first. Many places do NOT take computer stuff AT ALLâŠespecially older stuff. At my volunteer shop, one of us has to test any electric stuff that comes in. We do NOT do any computer equipment at all. None. Much of it runs on outdated software and/or the person doesnât even bother to donate the install drivers for the printers. Then it costs US money to dispose of it.</p>
<p>I would suggest either freecycle, or the dump for something that only works sporadically. Donât strap someone else with disposing of trash.</p>
<p>Hunt, I heard that some folks like the âauthenticâ sound of stuff on vinyl. I just donât get it. Why not cassette tapes?!</p>
<p>Oh, yes, after watching things on DVDs for years, I donât think I would enjoy the quality of stuff transferred from VHS. And a lot of obscure stuff we have taped is available for watching on YouTube. </p>
<p>We have electronics recycling in our town one Saturday each month. I have found that is the best way to get rid of electronic stuff. I just have not donated the computer towers.</p>
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I still have couple of 8-track tapesâŠsomewhere.</p>
<p>Even if you prefer vinyl, those old vinyl LPs youâve played ten thousand times arenât going to sound that great, and you really arenât going to want to take the time to digitize them, unless youâve got a lot of spare time.</p>
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<p>S is an Acoustical Engineering majorâŠhe has kidnapped our turntable and many of our old vinyl albums. He and all his acoustics friends have given me <em>scientific</em> reasons why vinyl is SOOOOO much better (not that I understand them) and made me listen to show me the difference (not that I could hear it).</p>
<p>Anyhow, they insist that CD technology is crap, MP3âs are even worse, and vinyl is the best. I wouldnât throw your old albums away.</p>
<p>Re thumper1âs March 2 post, and to limabeans and others: Yes, you can definitely catch up! I am happy to serve both as a bad example of accumulating things over time and missing a few weeks of club membership, and as a good example that you can always get back to clearing things out.</p>
<p>This week: Among other things, a dozen sunglasses to go to Goodwill. (Donât ask.)</p>
<p>Just posting, for some more encouragement. Trash bags out this week: um, a lotâactually, an embarrassingly large number that I decline to post (though I did miss last weekâs trash collection).</p>
<p>Two boxes out to Goodwill, one quite large (about 24" by 15" by 12"), and the other smaller.</p>
<p>The living room currently looks ânot too bad.â Hurrah! </p>
<p>A different tactic Iâve been doing is taking books to my favorite local indie bookstore that does new and used. They give credit for the books they take (and they have a donation box for those you want to leave for âfreeâ to those who want them). </p>
<p>Iâve found for me this little incentive provides someâŠwellâŠincentive! </p>