I’m Not a Hoarder, But I Might Be a ‘Saver’

Learning to let go

By Sarah Allen
Real estate coordinator, homeowner, and human navigating life’s plot twists

I did a big purge last weekend. The kind where you finally tackle the corner of the basement that hasn’t seen daylight since 2009.

And still… I kept stuff.

The random bracket. The perfectly good shoebox. The drawer full of unknown keys (what if I find the lock one day?).
My kids say I’m turning into my father. They might be right—and they’re a little scared.

But here’s the thing: I’m not a hoarder.
I’m a saver. And if you’re anything like me, maybe you are too.

The Things We Keep 'Just in Case'

It starts innocently:

A couple of cords you don’t recognize.
An extra shelf bracket.
That one lonely screw from the IKEA coffee table you no longer own.

You tuck it away—just in case.

Before you know it, you’re digging through a Rubbermaid bin labelled “Misc.” looking for a thing you probably replaced already.

But there’s something comforting about knowing you could find it if you had to.

It’s not clutter—it’s preparedness. Right?

When Stuff Starts Living Rent-Free

The trouble isn’t just the space it takes up.
It’s the mental load.

You open a closet and feel guilty.
You shift piles around instead of dealing with them.
You don’t even notice the stuff anymore, but it’s still there—and it’s weighing on you.

And when you’re getting ready to sell your home? Suddenly, all those little “maybe one day” items show up like guests who overstayed their welcome.

So What Do You Actually Do With It All?

Look—I’m not about to tell you to become a minimalist. I still have a container of “assorted nails” and a drawer of tangled cables I might need.

But here’s what’s helping me:

Question the backup: Do I really need a backup toaster oven? Really?
Set a “donate by” date: If I don’t use it or miss it by then, it goes.
Get real about who I am now: I’m not the person who’s going to refurbish that table. I want to be, but I’m not.

This isn’t about tossing everything. It’s about making your space reflect your actual life—not the one you’re saving parts for.

Real Talk

At some point during the purge, one of my kids looked at me, then at the pile of things I insisted on keeping “just in case,” and said it—
“You’re turning into Grandpa.”

Honestly? They’re not wrong.

The drawer full of random hardware? That’s legacy.
The bin of cables for devices we no longer own? Heritage.
That perfectly good piece of wood I might need one day? That’s foresight… obviously.

But after they said it, I paused.
Because one day, I’m going to be the one sorting through his stuff—and I know how much of it I won’t know what to do with.

So maybe, just maybe, it’s time to start making the choices now—about what stays, what goes, and what actually matters.

I’m not saying I’ll become a minimalist.
But I am saying I labelled the cable bin. That’s growth, right?