Comments on: Do you really need those boxes?

By: Annie

Annie — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:51:51 +0000

I did a “container” inventory: 4 pages of baskets, computer packing boxes, file boxes and drawers, luggage, tambour-lid cases, notebooks, backpacks; and most of these are empty and nested! Now I realize I am a sucker for any cheap (especially a thrift store rescue), good-looking but maybe not really useful – maybe matches something I have – “container!” “Just in case.” Next, I did tools and supplies. Turns out I have too many of those, too. Actual content is not that much – that is, it isn’t the real volume of clutter.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 31 May 2007 18:11:09 +0000

The one box I actually needed, my laptop box with the boot disks and other info for my laptop, got thrown away by my roommate. So if you’re going to keep them, label ‘KEEP; along the side

By: algal

algal — Tue, 08 May 2007 10:14:57 +0000

I used to keep all original boxes and packing material religiously. This was a mistake.

I was doing it hoping to increase eventual resale value, to make shipping easier, and to make moving easier.

When I realized this, I settled on my new regime: keep only the boxes of items that are likely to retain their resale value, and/or which require the original shaped packaging material to shipped safely.

For examples, should one keep the box for …
1. external hard drive: no, loses value to rapidly.
2. mac mini: yes, resellable on ebay later.
3. food processor: yes, impossible to pack otherwise.
4. 18″ LCD monitor: no, too small to warrant preserving the resall premium provided by a box.

etc..

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:58:56 +0000

Ok, I must admit the shoes were more like three years old. That’s a little better right? For some reason I save certain shoes as “work” shoes and I don’t get rid of them. (I don’t claim to have a clutter-free home.)

By: Phillip

Phillip — Thu, 03 May 2007 05:51:33 +0000

We’ve just had a huge clear out of boxes from our roof space. I used to keep the boxes for everything – but I’ve made a pledge not to do that. I’ll keep the box for a new piece of equipment for maybe a month, just incase it fails in that time, otherwise its flattened and thrown away. It did alarm me the amount of packaging that come with most consumable eletronics though – not good for the environment at all.

By: Lyn Never

Lyn Never — Wed, 02 May 2007 21:29:19 +0000

Boxes are always popular on Freecycle, as well.

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:39:50 +0000

Adam … that made me laugh, too. I hope that Matt was being funny on purpose. Matt, you were being funny on purpose, right???

By: Adam Rice

Adam Rice — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:12:12 +0000

“shoes that I haven’t worn in four years”

What’s that about reducing clutter then?