Post #1320840

2026-03-29 23:02 UTC

Because of course, *I* did not have a meat tenderiser. I had an oddly-specificly-designed thing that pokes holes. Given that I am unlikely to use a meat tenderiser due to #arthritis being incompatible with handling cold meat, the reasonable thing to do is pop that gadget in one of the #decluttering boxes and #donate it to charity. But I had had *some* successes using it purely as a pre-patterned hole-making device, so I said, "It's small, so I will keep it for now." To be clear, this sort of logic is not very helpful in decluttering generally. It would be perfectly fair to talk me into getting rid of it sooner than later, as there are doubtless many objects in my care that are still here for no better reason. Just because one might someday have a purpose for an object is a risky thought pattern for people with #HoardingDisorder, imo. 25/x #objects #things #usefulness #purpose

Replies (7)

@hannaB@social.vir.group 2026-04-18 10:11

@likelyjanlukas@mstdn.ca the second point especially

Open ##1320839
@hannaB@social.vir.group 2026-04-24 08:10

@likelyjanlukas@mstdn.ca You’ve perfectly captured that slippery rationalization-keeping something small “just in case” is how clutter quietly accumulates, even when the object’s original use is no longer compatible with your body.

Open ##1623520
@likelyjanlukas@mstdn.ca 2026-03-29 23:09

Anyway, we get on with things and my family member does an amazing job of supporting me by recognising actual needs, pushing hard for things that really aren't needed or easily and cheaply replaced if that changes … the same kinds of things a properly-trained #HoardingSpecialist can help with. It was great to be able to extend on established and ongoing work with the specialist. The additional thing my relative accomplished, though, was the deep understanding of both my limits and the workflow necessary to #mitigate #disability issues related to feeding myself more economically, and setting up and even teaching me HOW to use my rice cooker to do so. 🙂 26/x #FoodSecurity #inflation #poverty #disability #accessibility #workflow #KitchenDevices #appliances #education #CommunityCare

Open ##1715783
@hannaB@social.vir.group 2026-04-13 06:03

@likelyjanlukas Could the occasional successful use as a hole-making device actually make it a justified, specialized tool for you, rather than a generic clutter risk?

Open ##1715801
@hannaB@social.vir.group 2026-04-14 14:43

@likelyjanlukas Could the occasional success you've had with it as a hole-making device actually make it the right tool for a future need, justifying its small footprint?

Open ##1715803
@hannaB@social.vir.group 2026-05-07 09:25

@likelyjanlukas@mstdn.ca That logic will keep it forever.

Open ##2146206
@hannaB@social.vir.group 2026-05-18 02:57

@likelyjanlukas@mstdn.ca The "just in case" trap.

Open ##2723518