Is anyone a packaging/accessory hoarder?

[bosk1]

A few months ago, I had to replace my cell phone.  I was just cleaning up my desk area at home, and there is a stack of things related to that that my first instinct was to move to somewhere else instead of throwing it away.  It consisted of:  the box for my new phone, the box and packaging for the new phone case, the box for the new charger head, the box for the new wireless earbuds, the old phone case, the old phone charger cable (that works intermittently). 

I don't know why the thought of just throwing this stuff out makes me anxious.  But I do this ALL.  THE.  TIME.  I have so many boxes and old accessories for electronics and other stuff that I have a hard time just throwing out.  I know it's the dumbest thing, but...I dunno.  Anyone else do this? 

[TAC]

I have a drawer in my kitchen that is full of all kinds of unrelated shit. My parents had a similar drawer and I swore I'd never do that.


I think I still have a box of VCR cords and adaptors downstairs. Even telephone extension cords..

[Cool Chris]

I don't save any packaging material. I used to save boxes thinking I would re-use them for shipping, but decided they were just taking up space. I'd really rather just buy a box. At this stage I have more money than I have storage space.

I do have a bin dedicated to wires and cables; that's one thing I tend to save thinking I might need one at some point. 

[Zoom E]

I’m the same. I still have the packaging for my phone, Ipad, And FitBit, and all the accessories that I never use are inside the boxes.

[Phoenix87x]

Come to think of it, I do do that.

But every couple months, I clean things out though and that excess does get thrown out.

[HOF]

Yes, and its quite dumb but I have like 6 or so old iphone boxes, plus all my old decommissioned iphones, plus old computers, old chords and chargers and whatever.

[King Postwhore]

I live with a woman that never throws anything out. I need to rent a 20 yard dumpster to clean out the basement.

[TAC]

The Lovely Mrs TAC has now started to wash and reuse freezer and storage bags. WTF??

[Cool Chris]

This summer when we went to Hawaii, my MiL insisted we re-use ziplok bags. She said using them once and tossing them was bad for the environment. Which, apparently, getting on a plane and flying 3,000 miles, is not.

[TAC]

My wife is your MiL???

[Cool Chris]

What?

I mean, yes, in all the worst ways.

We went there with the in-laws.

[Zoom E]

The Lovely Mrs TAC has now started to wash and reuse freezer and storage bags. WTF??

I had a co-worker who did that. He was washing a zip-loc bag in the kitchen at work and told me he had been using the same bag for over 10 years. He said he was just thrifty. 

[HOF]

The Lovely Mrs TAC has now started to wash and reuse freezer and storage bags. WTF??

My mom always did this and I guess I just picked it up from her because we’ve just always done it. For us growing up it was more to save money.

[TAC]

The Lovely Mrs TAC has now started to wash and reuse freezer and storage bags. WTF??

My mom always did this and I guess I just picked it up from her because we’ve just always done it. For us growing up it was more to save money.

My wife is a penny pincher big time.

[Phoenix87x]

I actually just started using actual cups and plates instead of disposable paper plates and plastic solo cups.

That's just always how it was done when i was growing up and I'm finally trying to break that habit.

[gmillerdrake]

Yeah....I believe I still have every box for every cell phone I, my wife and kids have had. Dozens of chargers and USB outlet ports.....I also have all the boxes and styrofoam in those boxes for the five TV's we have in our house for 'when and if' we move I can package them back up to be safe.

I have a hoarder gene I've inherited from my mother. She's pretty bad, I've gotten mine under control but I do keep things WAY longer than necessary and things that just aren't necessary to keep. I have toys that the boys played with that I can't get myself to throw out because I have some fond memories of moments with them with those particular toys.....I have sentimental cards, some of the boys schoolwork....stuff like that of which is probably completely ridiculous to keep but I do.

I live with a woman that never throws anything out. I need to rent a 20 yard dumpster to clean out the basement.

When my childhood home sold we had to do this. Our entire basement looked like one of those hoarder shows due to how bad my mom had gotten with keeping things.

[hefdaddy42]

My wife keeps boxes of all kinds.

That's all I've got.

[Implode]

I'm one of those phone packaging hoarders, but I've been making a concerted effort to be better with that. If it's an empty box I haven't needed in a year, I throw it away.

[Stadler]

A few months ago, I had to replace my cell phone.  I was just cleaning up my desk area at home, and there is a stack of things related to that that my first instinct was to move to somewhere else instead of throwing it away.  It consisted of:  the box for my new phone, the box and packaging for the new phone case, the box for the new charger head, the box for the new wireless earbuds, the old phone case, the old phone charger cable (that works intermittently). 

I don't know why the thought of just throwing this stuff out makes me anxious.  But I do this ALL.  THE.  TIME.  I have so many boxes and old accessories for electronics and other stuff that I have a hard time just throwing out.  I know it's the dumbest thing, but...I dunno.  Anyone else do this?

I have a LOT of old packaging; I have all the boxes for each of the TVs we have. I have the box for my PS3 and xBox.  I don't save EVERY box, but the majority of them.

[Samsara]

When we sold/bought houses a couple years back, I noticed I had a huge storage bin in the garage with pretty much every type of cable/connection cord known to mankind. I just...hoarded them. It was ridiculous. LOL. I felt terrible throwing it all out, but I did, and I don't regret it. 

But on the phone...yeah, I have boxes from old phones somewhere all over the house. It's stupid. In fact, as I notice them from here on out, I am throwing them away. 

[XJDenton]

Unless its something big (like a PC or TV) and I'm likely to need it for repacking when I move flat, I don't see the point of keeping boxes that serve no purpose and only take up space. Though this attitude is probably driven by living in quite limited square footage the last decade or so.

[Elite]

I don't have room to store empty boxes, so why would I?

That said, I do have some old phones in their original boxes, but I mostly throw stuff away. I do use shoe boxes for all kinds of storing though.

[mike099]

We have a storage building in back of our house with Holiday stuff, but about 75 percent of other items that my wife is saving and has not touched in 15 years.  She also has a craft/crap room that is terribly disorganized.  I used to challenge the mess, but have learned to live with it.

I grew up in a clean organized household and my wife did not.  My daughter is just like me and keeps a clean organized house.  My son is messy and married a hoarder, so their house is an absolute wreck.

Back to the original topic, I do keep packaging a while but eventually recycle or throw out.

[bosk1]

I think I'm somewhat cured and am throwing them out.  TAC's post helped a lot.  I realized that if Tim is going the same thing, regardless of the rationale, it probably isn't a very healthy habit and should be stopped immediately. 

[hefdaddy42]

I think I'm somewhat cured and am throwing them out.  TAC's post helped a lot.  I realized that if Tim is going the same thing, regardless of the rationale, it probably isn't a very healthy habit and should be stopped immediately. 

[XJDenton]

I guess I don't see why would I keep something entirely useless and empty inside around? I already have me for that!

[HOF]

I partly blame Apple for making their boxes look nice.

[TAC]

I partly blame Apple for making their boxes look nice.

That's actually true. It's like...I can do something with this. I should save it.

[Stadler]

I partly blame Apple for making their boxes look nice.

That's actually true. It's like...I can do something with this. I should save it.

100%

[gmillerdrake]

[El Barto]

I keep boxes long enough to make sure I'm not going to return the item. Unfortunately that sometimes takes years. I've got a TV coming today, and I'll keep the box through January because that's when BB's return policy will end.

(In this case it's highly likely that I'll return this one anyway as BF is right around the corner. I'll probably be able to get the same TV 10" bigger for the same price I paid.)

[Cool Chris]

Just got my TV delivered, not sure I want to keep this damn box in my garage till the return policy expires!

I have no idea how BF (that one took me a minute) works any more. I ordered my TV last week from BB (that one took less time) marked down $500, figuring that was as good as it was going to get. Just checked it and it is down $400, and also 'Unavailable Nearby.'

[Phoenix87x]

I totally still have my phone box. Its so elegant and sturdy 

[Orbert]

My wife and I moved six times in our first 10 years together.  I always kept the original boxes for my stereo equipment and other electronics like the VCR, so it was handy being able to pack them in the original boxes.  Then we bought the house we've been in for the past 23 years, but I don't think we ever got out of the "apartment mentality".  All the boxes are stashed in the crawl space "just in case".  We've replaced various components over the years, so that means that I have boxes for things that I don't even have anymore.  But... the alternative would be to go into the crawl space just to dig those boxes out and recycle them.  Since they're not actually hurting anything, there they remain, out of sight and out of mind.  Until now.  Thanks a lot, man.

[Spiritus]

Wow 6 times in 10 years. I haven't moved that much in all my life (at 5)