Things People Hoard Because of Misconceptions

What you choose to keep may be silently holding you and your family back. Here are some items that many people choose to keep as a precaution, but then never use, wasting space .

Guilt-Inspiring Gifts We're Afraid to Give

Have you ever held onto a gift you didn't like because you were worried the giver would find out? Maybe it was a sweater that never left the hanger or a kitchen appliance that's still in its box. Deep inside the object is a fear: " If I let this go, I'll reject that person ."

You don't have to. Love is about giving and receiving, not about keeping. Try these two steps to release:

1. Thank, then decide. Whisper a brief 'thank you' for the intention and decide based on your current life—not based on other people's expectations of you.
2. Create a token of gratitude. If you feel relieved, take a picture of yourself wearing it or using it once. Keep the memory; give the item away.

If the giver asks, you can say, 'I 'm glad you thought of me. I passed it on to someone who needs it more .' That response respects both the relationship and your personal space.

Bargain items we "should" use

People often keep things because they are expensive: a high-end juicer, high-end yarn for a hobby they never started. We tell ourselves that keeping them will retain their value.

But it's not. The price is a sunk cost—you can't get it back by letting it haunt your closet. The only question that matters is: Does this item create value for me today? If not, trade it.

Resell or donate with a purpose. Turn the item into cash, a tax deduction, or goodwill.

Reframe it as tuition. You paid to learn something about your interests. That clarity is worth more than the space that hoarding mistakes are now taking up.

If you need a ritual, put it in your " Tuition Box ." Everything in it teaches you something; your refund is the space you take back.

Clothes and equipment you think you will wear someday

We all keep things for a future version of ourselves—the white coat for " the boardroom ," the guitar we'll learn "when life is quiet ," the stack of language workbooks for " my future self ."

Remember, your space should serve the person you are becoming through your daily actions, not the character you play in some movie.

Or as James Clear says, ' Every action you take is a vote for the kind of person you want to become .' Be aligned with reality, not fantasy. Keep what you used in the past year for your present life.

Set up a 30-day experiment. If a hobby or outfit still appeals to you, put it on your calendar and wear it when you can. No action for 30 days? Let it go.

When you let go of your clothes, you create space for your real life—today.

"Just in case" duplicates and emergency spares

If duplicates are clogging up your kitchen cabinets or keeping you up at night, they're charging you rent.

Try the Box Rule. Decide how much space you'll have for your category—a single drawer for cables, a compartment for travel toiletries, a hook for your bag—and let the box set its own limits. If it doesn't fit, you'll need to get rid of something.

1. Keep the best, let the rest go. Choose cables that fit your devices and bags that don't dig into your shoulders.
2. Trust in availability. The world is not as scarce as you fear. If you really need a specialized item later, you can borrow, rent, or buy it right then and there.

Souvenirs

Greeting cards, children's drawings, ticket stubs, and even folders of screenshots on your phone—they all represent love, experience, and identity. But when everything is precious, storage can become overwhelming.

The problem here is to know how to manage:

1. Choose a story, not a pile of books. Pick 10 items that tell the story of an era—your child's handwriting, a masterpiece of spaghetti art, a note that still makes you cry.
2. Create an easy archive. Get one slim keepsake box per person, or one digital album per year. Take pictures of the rest and put them away.
3. Quick test: if an item makes you feel heavier than warmer, it's not a keepsake—it's an item to be discarded.

Jessica Tanner

Update 17 August 2025