Matt Paxton - Crazy Decluttering Stories | Clutterbug Podcast  

Content and all else aside - you’re a great interviewer because you allow the guest to speak! It’s distracting when the guest is cut off all the time. You’re so kind and respectful.

I could listen to you two all night! I’m an 80 year old widow. Since my husband died, I have given his things to my kids and grandson. Not, all at once, just at special times. Like at Christmas time this year I gave my grandson my husbands watches, because he had mentioned he wanted to start a watch collection. While he ( he’s 29 ) and his dad, my son were going thru the boxes, my son also found a large ring that looked a bit like a bracelet. We all had a good laugh relating the story that my husband had rung a heifer instead of a bull one year, and, he kept the ring as a reminder. Things like this give me joy, I’d rather give them now so I can see them enjoy them. By the way, no one wants my china either! It will go to Good Will soon! I’m purging now, so my daughter will not have to deal with the junk when I’m gone.

My 2024 resolution is to get rid of at least one thing from my house every day. So far this year I’ve given away and thrown away 140 things…big and small.

I have one adult daughter and I had kept a lot of her stuff after she graduated from high school and went off to college. I continued to keep it in bins or boxes until she married and bought a house. Then because I knew she had room to store it I began to ask her if she wanted it. This is what I love about texting. I would go through her box and lay the stuff out on my living room floor, take pictures and text it to her with the message, do you want any of this stuff? If not I’m going to give it away. She said no to probably 90% of it. I donated what she didn’t want and drove what she did want to her house. I wasn’t about to wait for her to pick it up from me or it would get buried in my house again. I’ve run across more of her stuff so once I get to that room in the house for my decluttering project I’ll text her again. This gives me peace to let her make the decision to keep it or give it away and me the power to actually take it out of my house. 😀 I’m not saying this is the best way but it worked for me.

I got bored easily as a kid, so taught myself to draw and paint, took guitar lessons and started writing songs at 12, and spent 2 hours a day practicing singing. I became a studio vocalist, and an illustrator. If I had internet during those years, I wouldn't have developed those 2 talents.

A couple months ago I asked my parents what was the most cherished thing they had. My dad pulled out his pocket knife and said this so I asked him to tell me the story of why it’s so special. He went on to tell me story after story of adventures he had involving this pocket knife including hitchhiking from the southern east coast to Alaska just after high school in the 70s. I know now what my father’s most cherished possession is but also why. He let me know to keep that and feel no guilt about getting rid of anything else of his. My mom however….. lol

My son got a job at Goodwill after he worked through his diagnosis of epilepsy and the anxiety and depression that go with it. He moved on from there, and has a job he loves, as well as the knowledge that he is important.

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I put stuff on the curb and i get so happy when people come to pick it up❤

I have one complaint...please dont say goodwill sooo much! There are so many other valueable sources....bethesda...st.vincent....all these places tske care of there communities!

Been going through my moms home after helping her move into assisted living. Each time we do a pivotal process, we have a long conversation with her stories and memories and it’s been really good.

❤❤❤I just spent two weeks with my son’s family in Florida. The kids and I walked to and from school. We played 20 questions, looked at the flowers 🌸 in the yards, and actually spoke to each other. What a great opportunity to communicate from one generation to another. We also had fun watching the new puppy learn about the world of smells. ❤❤❤❤

Thanks for interviewing Matt Paxton. He seems to be such a good man 🙂

This is one of my favorite decluttering listens ever. I have consumed so much decluttering and minimalism content over the past few years - I didn’t think I could hear anything new anymore. This gentle podcast proved me wrong. Thank you.

I saved my stepmoms earrings because they still smell of her perfume. I loved her so.

I really enjoyed watching Hoarders because it made me feel good because "at least my house doesn't look THAT BAD" 🤭 I enjoyed seeing Matt on the program - he was great.

YES!!! this is what I tell my husband whenever he has a hard time “just” donating to goodwill. I love finding a good deal at goodwill and have been blessed by things I have found there so I never feel bad donating there. I know when it’s something nice that I am making someone’s day!

Matt hit the nail on the head of the guilt of women over fifty-five, oldest adult daughter, dealing with generations of stuff, feeling like they have to do it all themselves.

As a fellow professional organizer, the whole “you get a check and a hug” really does happen. I love changing people’s lives!

I love this colab!!!! My dad is 88yrs old, and is in the process of moving. He had almost 3 acres, a HUGE shop, 2 car garage, 3 sheds, and at least 4 storage trailers. Now he's having to hire people to remove the scrap metal and junk and move what he's keeping out to his new property. He's finding that it's costing money to move it, but he still has the mindset that maybe he'll need that 1ft piece of wood and he would have to rebuy it, so it needs to be kept.