how many of each 'thing' do you feel the need to have? (hardwood floor, microwave)

[Nonesuch]

The trick to avoiding duplication is to either methodically organize hidden-away storage, or allocate sufficient wall space to do what good hardware stores do, and have everything up and hanging on hooks and sorted into bins, so you can quickly find what you need, or at least determine whether you own it already or need to buy.

Life was easier when I lived in the City and had a 24-hour Target and 24-hour big box hardware store both within walking distance.

Originally Posted by JonahWicky

With next day deliveries so common, I see no reason to keep spares "just in case". That said, I've learned to pick my battles and arguing over stuff is very low on the list. Happy wife happy life.

I used to feel that way about certain things, like Pyrex dishes -- no need to have extra, I can just buy a new one. But with today's "Built to a price point" cost cutting, the new ones you can buy aren't up to the same quality and need much more frequent replacement.

Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote

Sadly though, I have 2 Chemex. They are easy to break/chip/crack.

Anything that is difficult to repair/replace, I try to have an actively used one, and a spare.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by KemBro71

I didn't mean to focus just on coffee makers and vases but thanks for all the responses.

With the work my wife and I do, we often get promotional items throughout the year. So we have these:

How many insulated coffee tumblers do we need?

How many smallish insulated soft-side coolers?

Small backpacks?

Baseball caps?

I routinely weed these things out. There's a point where you don't have to prepare for that one time out of 100,000 when 6 people need an insulated coffee mug.

That stuff is convention "swag." How many pens, pocket knife/letter openers, t-shirts, and other crap can be bought by the exhibitor for a couple hundred bucks and given out as promotional largess? The t-shirts get to be work shirts or rags, and most of the other junk tossed. Of all that convention stuff, the only things of value I got was a dozen licenses for the microsoft suites back when they were expensive, a couple really nice sweatshirts, and a nice Paramount comforter that fits well in my home theatre area.

Living rural, where shopping is a 20 mile drive and then traffic, I have plenty of duplicates and alternatives. Just for fun, during the Texas ice-capade I counted up the number of ways that I could boil water for a cuppa to keep warm if there was a power outage. (I was dumbfounded by the number of people unable to think their way out of being cold.)

Gas stove
coffee maker
hot pot
3 microwaves (one in storage)
electric hot plate
propane cylinder hot plate
white gas camping stove
fireplace
gas grill
propane torch
numerous candles
sterno
campfire
(I stopped at the point where I realized that on an individual basis, I had over one hundred ways of making heat)

Some of the stuff is electric? I have two generators as well as inverters. Seven of the listed items get used regularly.

The answer to how much is too much? It depends.

[catsmom21]

Fun thread. When I find something I like, a tool for example I am prone to get another, just in case the next time I need one they don't make it anymore. I have this little handsaw I love, and I wanted one for the house and one to use outside, and keep in the shed. Then I bought another, well two, one for "extra" and one to give to a friend. The friend didn't want it so now I had two extra. last week I gave the "one for a friend" away to a co-worker. She came to help me with a chore that involved a ladder (she was ladder carrier, and ladder holder) and I gave her the "one for a friend" saw. I felt like I was giving away my right arm lol. Even though I still have two in use plus an extra.

I have a number of other items like that. I do tend to hoard and am always working against it.

I finally found a pair of kitchen shears I liked after years of trial (for raw feeding the cats), so I bought a spare pair. Recently I went looking for the link to share with someone, so they could get a pair and found they are no longer available. I am very glad I bought that spare scissor!

I recently bought a house and moved in and am slowly trying to eliminate stuff. I got rid of all vases, and tupperware, and extra plates I never used, and many many books.

I don't use the two tiny rooms upstairs in this house for living and every now and then I go up there and empty a box. I don't always throw a lot away but I am getting there. I have a huge collection of unused picture frames purchased over the years with the intent to fill them and have never done it, and haven't been able to part with them.

I have a box of odds and ends, casters, hinges, hooks, handles...since I still find myself rummaging in it and finding things of use, I guess I'll keep that.

[johngolf]

I say if something has not been used in a year, get rid of it.

[Parnassia]

Do all the "things" need to be in useable condition? My dad gathered a houseful of extras or spares of all sorts, electrical gadgets and small appliances in particular. One of each was usually functional. The others had all started out functional but eventually stopped. Then he'd buy another even cheaper version to tide him over until he repaired the original one...which never happened for mysterious reasons. When I cleared out his townhome there were no less than 21 cordless phones, probably a dozen battery chargers, 6 fans, 4 pairs of identical shoes, etc. All but one of the pairs of shoes were new in the box. The used pair were more than ready to be tossed buy he'd never make the switch. Because then he wouldn't have enough spares!

I was very aware of his tendency and occasionally detect it in myself, so I fight it. Living in remote AK without spares makes it hard. You may have searched far and wide to find one of something and paid a lot in shipping to get it. You'll never pay the same or less to replace the item so buy two the first time. The last thing you want is to not have a spare when something breaks, you drop it in a river, or someone borrows it. Once you get your grubby hands on something you keep and use it until it disintegrates.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

Do all the "things" need to be in useable condition? My dad gathered a houseful of extras or spares of all sorts, electrical gadgets and small appliances in particular. One of each was usually functional. The others had all started out functional but eventually stopped. Then he'd buy another even cheaper version to tide him over until he repaired the original one...which never happened for some mysterious reason. When I cleared out his townhome there were no less than 21 cordless phones, probably a dozen battery chargers, 6 fans, 4 pairs of identical shoes, etc. All but one of the pairs of shoes were new in the box. The used pair were more than ready to be tossed buy he'd never make the switch. Because then he wouldn't have enough spares!
.

My buddy's day had 2 tv's stacked in the kitchen, one had volume, the other had the picture but he would have to chance both tv channels to keep them sync'd. Finally they bought him a brand new tv, he couldn't believe how good the picture and sound was! I think it was $188 and it took up 1/5 of the counter space!

[Threestep2]

There are never too many guns or safes. Spelling?
Tools - as soon as you dispose of a specialty tool you need it.
Knives - I have been looking for a Buntmesser Trident which makes v-cuts since I gave the monster knife block away.

[KemBro71]

I like having spares for things that I think will be hard to get in the future, or that will be of declining quality in the future.

I'm not a fan of stocking up on things for the once in 10,000 instances where you might find yourself 'short' of something non-essential. Then the other 9,999 instances you're wasting space storing it.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote

Sadly though, I have 2 Chemex.

That's not sad; it's smart.

I have a Chemex, Melitta electric drip, and a French press. Which one I use depends on my mood.

I also have 4 TVs, 4 DVD players, 3 stereo component systems (one on each floor!), a forest of artificial Christmas trees in all sizes and more Christmas crap than I'll ever use again, rooms full of books, more canning jars than I'll ever use. I know as soon as I sell the canning jars that I'll break a bunch. It never fails.

Then there are the 400 vinyl albums and 300 CDs ...

Originally Posted by KemBro71

How many insulated coffee tumblers do we need?

All of them!

I can't drink water out of a mug that I've had coffee in. The aroma never washes out. Same with tea.

[catsmom21]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

That's not sad; it's smart.

I have a Chemex, Melitta electric drip, and a French press. Which one I use depends on my mood.

I also have 4 TVs, 4 DVD players, 3 stereo component systems (one on each floor!), a forest of artificial Christmas trees in all sizes and more Christmas crap than I'll ever use again, rooms full of books, more canning jars than I'll ever use. I know as soon as I sell the canning jars that I'll break a bunch. It never fails.

Then there are the 400 vinyl albums and 300 CDs ...




All of them!

.

Holy moly. Do you have children?

I can't drink water out of a mug that I've had coffee in. The aroma never washes out. Same with tea

I drink water out of clean glass peanut butter jars, or even canning jars, if I have any (such as a friend gives me a pint of homemade preserves). I only drink coffee first thing in the morning, and I use the same mug every day. I don't even bother to wash it. I wash the water glasses daily.

I have a tendency to hoard the peanut butter jars, so I force myself to discard most of them as they become available (I go through a jar of peanut butter every 3 weeks or so, because it is my breakfast)