<p>In our area, Kelly-Moore, Dunn-Edwards and Sherwin Williams paint stores accept old paint for recycling, in addition to our local refuse service.</p>
<p>I think Iāve got you all beat. I recently shredded some checks from 1978. They were in the bottom of a file cabinet in the basement. It was kind of funny to go through the checks. There was a check made out to my credit card company for my Christmas shopping. It was for $156. I remember thinking Iād gone overboard that Christmas! </p>
<p>Yesterday I cleaned out the folder with all the instruction manuals. I finally tossed out the manual from the Fisher Price baby monitor, circa 1986. </p>
<p>Right now, I am on a roll and I am ruthless.</p>
<p>Mansfield, I donāt even know which appliances we own anymore. But the 1986 baby monitor instructions must take some kind of prize! I threw them all out, ha. No one in my family seems to notice how ruthless Iām being so I think Iāll just keep going!</p>
<p>In my bag of blankets were baby blankets. My kids are all in their twenties. OMG the stuff we find!</p>
<p>Shredded lots of old financial statements today and cleaned out more files. Have a box downstairs with medical claims back to 1990. That will be a TON of shredding since all the claims had SSNs on them back thenā¦ We have every tax return weāve ever filed downstairs, too. I think DH would veto ditching the 1983-2000 returns, thoughā¦</p>
<p>My sister said she would be thrilled to get my clothes, so I have three boxes packed up for her so far. Have two boxes for S1 and DIL which are in the car ready to drop off at the PO.</p>
<p>I have a couple of files with manuals for various devices in the house and I cull through those every couple of years.</p>
<p>Do you all find that the longer youāre at it, the more ruthless you become? I know I end up pitching more stuff as I go because I just get so tired of dealing with it. </p>
<p>Iām good about ditching my tax returns. Seven years and out- As I finish up the taxes and go to file it, I take the oldest one out and shred it.</p>
<p>As a corollary to ditching and organizing: I am making a list of all our various accounts, insurance policies, etc. so in the event anything happens to me, DH and/or the guys will know which end is up. Perhaps weāll even get wills done at some point! :eek:</p>
<p>Re: SSN on old documents. I found and old transcript, and surely enough the darn thing had my SSN printed on it! In the good old days Mr B had his driverās licence number printed on the checks for convenience - so the store clerks did not have to write it down. Canāt imagine doing this nowadays! I wanted to just throw those checks in the recycle bin since we moved from that address long time ago and the bank is no longer around, but canāt do that - the DL number is still the sameā¦ Yes, one has to be very careful with old documents.</p>
<p>Found DHās old paystubs from his previous employer in a file today ā 1996. Had his SSN <em>AND</em> our (still current) checking account number on them for direct deposit. Yikes!!!</p>
<p>There are companies that offer document destruction and some local businesses around me offer free shredding occasionally.</p>
<p>I cleaned out my pantry yesterday and pitched a few odd food items that were out of date. Also came up with two feet (shelf space) of cookbooks that can go to the AAUW book sale.</p>
<p>I donāt want to derail but I can resist commenting on the SSNs and old documents. When I was in college (this was in the mid-late 80ās), whenever exam or course grades were posted, there was just a big (dot matrixx) printout hung in the window, BY SSN, for all to see.</p>
<p>Also do you remember when your FULL credit card number - and expiration date - were printed on grocery store receipts, which we all dropped in the parking lot. (Who cares? How could you possibly use a CC# with no card??) :)</p>
<p>Back to bag-a-week. Today, I will tackle a bookshelf in our family room since weāre getting some new furniture.</p>
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<p>I did the same thing when we moved a year ago. There were cookbooks in there that had originally been my motherās or that people had given me when they didnāt know what else to get me. Got rid of them and have no regrets. I just kept the ones I use all the time, and the one S2ās GF gave me. If I want a recipe for something specific and itās not in one of my books, I just look on-line.</p>
<p>I need advice: What do I do with my grandmotherās Limoges china? I never use it ā the dinner plates are on the small side, and they require hand-washing. Everything has tiny chips so Replacements wonāt take it. Itās not particularly valuable either, according to various websites Iāve searched. I could give it to Goodwill or a consignment shop, but I feel guilty getting rid of it. Advice?</p>
<p>I donāt have a good answer, but it worries me. My mother has a house full of family chinaāheirlooms going back several generations. God bless her, I plan on her living another 20 years, but some time weāre going to have deal with thisāpiles of half-sets and stray pieces. I really donāt want them, and my kids are the only members of the next generation, and I will be surprised if either wants them. Iād be happy with selling the lot, but that would be considered scandalous in my family.</p>
<p>Frankly, I donāt think selling is an option. In order to sell, you need a buyer!</p>
<p>Maybe look at Pinterest or Etsy for inspiration with random china. What about turning it into a craft and giving as gift to famiky members or friends?</p>
<p>Take a photo of it or make a scrapbook page about grandma and her china and then send it to consignment or donate it.
I had a friend who saved her grandmotherās china for 20 years and it ended up eventually in the trash. She wishes she had given it to somebody who could have used it 20 years earlier.
On another thread someone mentioned saving furniture for their kids. No way I would do that unless itās just a small heirloom piece. Tastes, homes differ. </p>
<p>Hate to brag but I started this cleaning process in October. My garage is at least a third cleared out. I did get RUTHLESSābut it felt so great! The garbage and Goodwill were my best friends.</p>
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<p>Today I will burn up old tax returns (more than seven years old) I forgot about the fact that social security numbers used to be printed on everythingā¦</p>
<p>Iāve lived in this house for way too many years, 30+. Each day, I have a new closet or cabinet to attack. Todayās closet will be the family room. I warned my DH.</p>
<p>Iāll have to burn up those old tax forms too. I bet they date back to when we first moved here. UGH! </p>
<p>Garland, Iām right there with you. What to do about my Limoges china? Some of it is REALLY old. Some pieces even have gold trim, which of course canāt be stuck in the DW. There is all sits, downstairs in our dusty basement. 12-piece sets, plus tons of serving platters and casseroles, etc. At least the sterling (12 x knives/forks/spoons, etc) are easily stored. </p>
<p>Then, thereās the stuff my mom left here when she moved east. Thatās not fancy, and thereās lots of broken pieces. Think Iāll toss those too.</p>
<p>limabeans, if you donāt want the sterling flatware, Iāll take it off your hands. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I have two and a half sets and I use it all the time.</p>
<p>Dropped off 2 bags today before the snow storm hits! It was all clothing, but next is shoes and accessories. :)</p>