Handling finances should be taught in every school.

I did not understand the "symptoms" of hording. At first it was (1) being in debt, a (2) condo full of gear (clutter in all rooms) and later on (3) buying, buying (and hiding them in the) pole barn and not telling the wife you brought more junk in. Then (4) spending day after day in the pole barn going through that stuff instead of spending time with the wife, the family, going on a trip, dancing or doing something else that is fun. Twenty years later, I get it.

It's interesting that you can get to those same stages by having deep depression and just not caring anymore about how clean your house is. Depression and hoarding are very different, but it is interesting that it can result in the same state of overwhelming house.

As much as I hate admit it I think I’m a stage 3 hoarder ☹️ And it actually feels kind of freeing to openly admit it to others. First step is to recognize it and admit it. Now on to the next step. 😎

Yes, the garage could be viewed. On the other hand, level 3 usually means a house room that cannot be used for its INTENDED PURPOSE. That means the sink can't be used for washing things or the couch for sitting. Or the bed for sleeping. Necessary functions. While the garage is often used FOR storage, the problem is TOO much is stored.

I never considered having some clutter on the counter as any sort of hoarding. I saw it more as someone that's just always in a rush and neglects to put things away. Incoming mail can easily pile up. I believe hoarding is when you continue to acquire things than you need, and do not thin out what you have so eventually your storage areas are overflowing and excess materials end up out in the open, and eventually entire rooms get piled up with stuff.

The economy is collapsing; supplies are dwindling in food and material supplies and will be depleted for the coming years; so, before you throw things away that may be useful in a grid down scenario.... one might want to consider the painful lessons learned during the great depression which is why many who went through that didn't throw much away.

I'm definitely a level one. I've been decluttering for years. My mantra is now "Enough" instead of "Just in case".

This is a great thing to be taught in school- something that is actually used daily- personal finance.

I think the word hoarder is tossed around too much. Actual hoarding is a mental illness. Most of us are just sloppy and a bit lazy. I have a lot of stuff, but I'm going through it and letting things go. I'm helping my mom de-clutter, because she has to move in less than a month. She's not a hoarder, either. But she is a pack rat, like me. This has been a great bonding experience, though.

Hello Rachel :)- I stumbled upon minimalism during the Pandemic when I was completely alone for 2 years and I have thankfully have been practicing minimalism before I even knew what this concept even was. I have lived in an empty apartment for over 2 years now and I welcomed this lifestyle. YOU would be surprised how stress free YOUR life will become.

I'm a stage two hoarder. I don't buy much, but I have trouble throwing things away if they're still useful. For example, I've got several 3 lb metal coffee cans in my garage, I've been saving for some kind of project--planters, organization, etc. I'd happily give them away, but I don't want to throw them away. I've been adding one a week to my recycling bin, but it's hard to give up the creative notion that these can be repurposed. I've got a dish of seeds I want to plant. I've got a collection of craft supplies, fabric, and yarn, and I have to stay away from decor/craft stores or I'd buy more. I see potential in everything.

The important thing to remember is these levels require a SYSTEMIC AND CONSISTENT problem! If things are temporary or situational it is not a hoarding symptom. For instance, when I was collecting things for an event I kept everything stored in one room in my house and it got to the point where I couldn't use that room for a while. But when the event was over, the room was clear again. I WAS NOT a hoarder just because I had an unusable room for a period of time. Other example, when a person is moving house, sometimes it takes a while to really get everything sorted and moved in leading to stuff being in random places, bins and boxes everywhere, etc. As long as progress is being made this does not qualify as being a hoarder. HOARDER LEVELS REQUIRE SYSTEMIC BEHAVIORS THAT INTERFERE WITH A PERSONS LIFE AND WELL BEING

So true about the space. Our 1500 sq ft house was streamlined and organized with zero clutter. Then we moved to a house twice the size and now we’re essentially living in half the house with two bedrooms completely cluttered. Container Theory.

There has to be a happy medium between minimalism and hoarding. Hoarding is a problem when it effects your social life, costs you too much and risks your health. Minimalism also effects your choices (we don't all want to wear all black t-shirt and jeans for every day), it can be costly if you are throwing stuff out and rebuying them the next year and I think you have to be careful that you don't allow clutter etc to effect your mental health (being neat and tidy is fine but NEEDING to deal with clutter before you continue with your day is a problem). Like all things, moderation is best.

I feel like these days with rising prices people will hang onto much more than they ever did. It will be expensive to rebuy it.

I have a friend who is a hoarder. It took her 25 years to go from stage one (when she first bought her home) to stage 5 where she is at now. She uses 100's of totes too besides just tossing things into rooms. She sees a psychiatrist for mental health issues but she has never told him about her hoarding. The struggle of letting go is real.

The idea of helping kids with financing is great! So needed!

Rachel Cruze AND The Minimalists! The multiverse crossover we do actually all need. Fantastic stuff.

We have been there done that. We are 72 and wanted to make a huge family space in our unfinished basement. We have 10 grands who live within an hour, so they come around a lot. I was a creative (hoarder) teacher. During this new construction we had to pitch or pack away everything. Older grands toted everything to our detached garage. Any season decor is a problem. I have sorted and given away many things. I realize I am a type A detailed hoarder. I watched about Swedish Death Cleaning. I am working on it. Love and peace to you for spreading good news to people.

Such a great message! I also wish that someone would of set me down at 17 yrs old and taught me about finances.

Its so hard to get rid of stuff but I really want to…I lived most of my life dirt poor and I have such a hard time shaking the “I might need it someday” syndrome.

Even just getting rid of one thing a day can declutter your life over time. I’ve also become a container lady; having things in containers gives me oversight, so that I don’t purchase the same thing I already have.

Hoarders are often perfectionists. Can’t do anything if you can’t do it perfectly.

I know many who have 'collections' that became a cluttered mess. Things are only worth the joy they bring or what you can sell them for. Most of it ends up at Goodwill. Normalizing this will give people the tools to let go of things that don't serve them. I used to work as an organizer and quickly realized I needed to learn about the psychology of why people do this. Great discussion. We can all do our part by not giving people things they don't want and not guilting them to keep things. Thankfully I have always preferred less stuff, and less space. I've also moved many times, internationally a handful of times and you realize you don't need stuff. Great exercise, challenge.

I’m the same with the clear nightstand surface but the drawer is a nightmare! The kids teeth, y’all... WHY do we keep their teeth?!?! They add zero benefit to my life and the kids will not want them back when their grown. I know. My mom tried. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

I've always loved the minimalists. I've always been good at not having much stuff, but I've learned a lot from them and have gotten rid of even more things. I'm with Josh, I love my coffee. LOL When you don't have a bunch of debt with a bunch of things around the house that don't mean much, then you can spend money on things that you really love such as coffee or going on vacation. Why work 50+ hours just to give it all to Visa. That is crazy and I used to do that. I don't do that anymore so I can actually save and buy things that matter now.

The minimal mom did a video on Justin Case. We need to constantly keep him moving

I agree w/ another comment, that some people are just messy, but Not hoarders. .. My place gets quite messy at times, & i am a minimalist. Sometimes I'm busy w/a project, kids, or just tired from the day & will clean up in the morning when I'm recharged & am more productive. I like things perfectly organized, but I don't feel like I have to keep it this way 24/7. I value 'chill time'. .. I agree w/someone's comment, that hoarding is a 'mental disorder'. Hoarders usually can't get rid of obvious trash like pet & bug contaminated things or rotten stuff. And their are levels to that.

I get the fact that a garage is included, but when you don't an attic or basement, and can't have a shed in your backyard due to HOA, yes you FL, where do you put your Christmas, holiday decorations, lawn mower, landscaping tools,etc??

Omg 😱 I’m a hoarder. I’ve been realizing that tho. I’ve been reading the Bible, and through it, I feel like Jesus was calling me to let go of material things. So I’m working on it.

Don't feel obligated just because somebody gives you something even if they are a relative. That's a form of control. And you gotta teach them that they can't control you anymore. You gotta feel that you have this freedom to say. No, so don't allow people to control, you say no, it gives you strength and it helps you to get rid of your fear of others. Over the years, I was always afraid to say no to somebody who gave me something. I didn't need I feel guilty if I didn't take it. But now I say to them. Thank you but I don't think I will need it. Thank you for being kind and thoughtful. You have to stand up for yourself don't be afraid

Whatever stage a person is in, the key is that they are unable to let things go.

It's easier to keep your life simple then try and simplify your life later. I wish I had known that 40 years ago.

i ended up hording when we moved from a two story house to a one story. It all got piled in the garage. You couldnt even walk across my garage. Twenty yrs later it was still there. We had to go thru it THREE times before i could unload it. And i still need to go thru for a fourth time. My point is once i got rid of soooo much stuff, in the two yrs since i have only said "i wish i hadnt gotten rid of that" TWO TIMES!!! so easy to replace.

THATS SO AWESOME that y’all are teaching these kids this! I WISH teaching ALL kids responsibility with money, learning how to budget, teaching them how to NOT get into debt - was a “COMMON CORE” class. THIS would be SO HELPFUL!

Love the minimalist! They help and I listened to them and got rid of 98% of things and I am super happy I did! Freedom!

Well, this was an enjoyable trifecta of goodness. Thanks for sharing all these great ideas. 👏👏👏

Please more episodes of the minimalist with them!!! Joshua and Ryan Nicodemus!! are the best!!! What a great team! Thank you Rachel!! You are the best too!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Time to declutter your vocabulary. The term, "hoarder", does not apply to every person who has clutter or struggles with disorganization. Hoarding Disorder is a diagnosable mental illness. Using the term loosely diminishes the struggles of those who actually have the disorder, and needlessly applies an untrue, inaccurate label to those who don't. People can have clutter without being a hoarder. Hoarding Disorder is defined by a person's inability to get rid of things, which may also include trash. People with Hoarding Disorder may also have a compulsion to acquire more things, much like an addiction. The hoarding scale is used by clinicians to tailor therapy to where a person is on the spectrum of Hoarding Disorder. Using the hoarding scale to self diagnose is misleading. The potential for unnecessary guilt, self loathing, and depression in typical people comparing themselves to the hoarding scale is very high because of the stigma attached to HD via the hoarding tv shows. Anyone who is not actively a minimalist could easily fall into category 1 on that scale. It's a misuse of clinical tools for a specific purpose.

I live with an elderly, immigrant grandma who lived through the Vietnam war before moving to the states, and she has a bad habit of keeping tools, chemicals, household stuff, etc. long past their expiration point, because she still has the mindset that as long as they’re still functional, they’re worth keeping. But I have to keep reminding her that we only have so much space in the house, and we can’t be sacrificing that space for items that we can easily replace

Sometimes, when I want to get rid of things, I literally feel guilty about filling up the landfill. However, I am not organized enough to separate everything and give it all to different organizations. So I literally don't do anything bc it is unpleasant and somewhat painful to be faced with the reality that my disfunction seems impossible to actually deal with at all.

Like Jerry Seinfeld says- the garage is basically the garbage! It’s only one letter away! He has a great bit on clutter lol

I finally have understand the paralélales universe of the poverty spirit/mindset and hoarding. Thank you. I need to make room for less to give more away for when God calls me to do so. I want to be known for my generous giving. Thank you!!!

Not being clean isn't hoarding its not clean

I’ve been diagnosed with OCD. I don’t buy a lot but I have binders of printed articles, general info and quotes etc. Plus an insane amount of reminders and notes (both in my phone and on paper). It’s like a security blanket of information. I have 3 external hard drives of photos backed up and fire/waterproof safes for them. It really takes over my life and interferes with me being able to be present with my family. The ability to get info at my fingertips has enhanced it. When I was a lot younger it was magazines and clipping out the articles I wanted to save and putting them in binders and folders. There’s a problem and possibly a diagnosis when you feel controlled by it and frantic.

My husband is level 3/4 hoarder. Nobody can walk in his closet. You have to climb. Thanks God we have separated closets. His garage is full of junk, piling up to the ceiling. It’s hard enough to deal with him. Then, you have 2 out of 3 sons follow their dad’s footstep, keeping everything. They see nothing wrong but blame me for wanting it perfect. I don’t want perfect, just organized so he doesn’t have to buy stuff that we already own but is stuck inside the garage that we can’t access to without removing the top piles.

These 3 have changed our families projections in ways I will be forever grateful

I have goals to be a light prepper hoarder with some batteries, food, severe weather/power outage type of stuff 😂

I personally donate and look at it as someone else can use that. So it’s not getting rid of something that’s still usable.

Hi, my name is Katrin and I'm a stage 1 hoarder. I'm the child of a stage 4 hoarder, so I think I'm better.

Hoarding is a mental illness that more times than not requires intensive therapy. No amount of logic or reasoning I’ve done with a tru hoarder has helped them let things go. I’ve seen some get legit panic attacks when pressed to let things go. This interview is great for those that have over consumed and needs some Motivation and guidance to let things go.

I've been listening to this episode while making some lunch. I'm a regular listener of The Minimalists and your interview with them was the best I've heard with them. Well done, keep it up!

This is an amazing episode. I started minimalism after watching the minimalist and Matt D'Avalla on KZfaq. I'm starting with old clothes I've converted into sleepwear. Watching Ramsey which has taught me about being intentional with money and also learning about materialism has helped me make my life much more efficient. Not just financially, but mentally.

moving this weekend and this video was perfect to watch before packing!!!

I started backpacking, everything you need you carry for about 5 days. Really makes you look at life differently. If you ca, try it!

Thanks for having the Minimalists on your show Rachel! It’s great to see minimalism being mainstreamed. It is so life changing

After hearing the credit card part I had to share. My brother, for over 40 years had NEVER had a credit card. He lived by "if I can't pay for it I don't need it". Then, when he tried to buy his house, he could not get a mortgage due to never having "credit" ugh

Please put the descriptions of the different levels of hoarding on the screen for longer than a nano-second so we have time to read them.

Great episode!! Need more people to hear this message. Excellent topic!

Half car is for a motorcycle. When I try to help someone, once we've gone through all their stuff if they love all their things and they usually say yes to everything, then I go "whatever cost the most start with that and find the space for it and then work from there" and usually we get to the car in the garage and I tell them you're going to park a $50,000 car outside where it could be accidentally hit but you're going to leave boxes of tupperware's and Plastics decor and laundry bins in your garage? which one will cost more to replace? and usually a light bulb will come over their head and they're like OH... okay. 😂

My mom, my sister and sister in law and I did the 30 day challenge-twice! And even though I live a pretty minimal life it was easy to find things to let go!

Loved this! Two of my favourite channels combined! 🤩 please do more together. I’ve been implementing things from both your channels for a few years now ❤️💫👏🏻

Great conversation. ❤️ I am very streamlined and minimal and tidy, but my chihuahua has so many sweaters, accessories, balls, and baskets of toys 🧸 beds in every room, her own heating bags. How do I get her on board? 🐕

A little clutter means you're a hoarder? Sorry, I disagree. Under that definition, almost everyone I've ever met is a hoarder. That's just silly. I guess they want to sell books to a larger audience.

I have done the Minimalism Game, I completed the entire thing June 2021! It was before I had my baby & I knew I wanted to declutter before baby came. I definitely need to do it again 🤣

THE MINIMALISTS ARE NOT the right ones to be interviewed about hoarding. Their mindset is toward "they have too many things" WITHOUT the real mental health aspects involved in hoarding disorder. You should have interviewed Melanie from A Hoarder's Heart, who IS a recovering Hoarder. Or a professional who focuses on helping those who deal with the mental disorder of Hoardering. There are aspects of PTSD and deficits in brain organization skills involved that prevent the recognition of and process of discarding even trash.

The way you can ALWAYS tell someone is a hoarder, is that they take offense to that word and insist they are “collectors”.

I really think when a person is a horder when you put emotions in just about all your stuff and they get upset just thinking of getting rid of any of it. Just like one open spot on the floor or wall. They have to fill it with stuff!! It can get worse.

First sign that someone is approaching full blown hoarder status: 1. LOTS of bins (stacks and stacks of bins, often 3-4 bins high.) 2. Pathways through all the “stuff” to get through a room. 3. Can’t see inside through the windows (blinds drawn, curtains closed at all times). 4. Interior doors that are always closed, rooms nobody has ever or will ever see because that’s where you hide your hoard.

Call it a "Utility Drawer", not a "Junk Drawer". There's power in a name. If it's a UTILITY Drawer, then you start treating the items in it as having a purpose and you fill it intentionally. If it's a Junk Drawer, you fill it with junk, so it will definitely become chaotic and disorganized.

Great advice I’m going to tell that to someone with depression “ Just let it go and be happier” I joke, b/c they downplay it. Excessive stuff is the symptom and not the real issue.

Not being able to let go of things does not define hoarding. I was a level 5 hoarder and I give stuff away constantly. I can not THROW things away, that is wasteful, but i GIVE things away constantly, because it is generous and loving. A garage full of things does not make a hoarder, either. Tools are often needed but not always. You can’t just get rid of a table saw or a drill press when you aren’t using it and rebuy one when you need it again. I am a level hoarder due to childhood trauma. Hoarding is the symptom, not the problem. If you get to the root of the problem you can heal the hoarding.

I bought a grill from a neighbor and a new swamp cooler. The 2nd summer I hadn’t used either, I sold them.

The explanations of the stages of clutter surprised me about myself. Starting a purging spree.

It’s me. Can’t let go of excess stuff. Stage 1. Moving to stage 2. Gotta stop. Now.

Is being messy the same as hoarding though? I have random junk in my cellar and cluttering my home, but honestly if someone offered to take it away I'd say yes! I sell some of it on fb marketplace, but that takes effort... so it accumulates. Not 'just in case', but for 'to get rid of later'.

Many thanks to the duo for giving the powerful tool 🎯 called minimalism 🌏 and making our lives very pleasant 💚.

Hoarding is a mental health disorder not just people who have too much stuff. It is a complex issue often made worse by grief and trauma that is not dealt with. Don’t normalize hoarding. Living with a hoarder causes extreme distress and trauma to family members and adult children of hoarders often have lasting emotional issues that they carry with them.

This was a fabulous video. I learned so much and I am going to start the 30 day game of decluttering starting tomorrow. it's not the first day of the month but that's okay - I now have the motivation to be on my way to living a better life. Thank you !

lol, I have about 20 coffee mugs. I collect mugs from every vacation.

7:13 I am very proud to say that I do not have a junk drawer.

I have a problem getting rid of books. Yes, I do read them. Most are geared toward American History, my favorite subject. I have donated books. At first I felt heartbroken. Then I discovered Swedish Death Cleaning. What is so important to me I want my children to have to deal with it? Not much. That's a huge burden on them.

I'm a stage three bordering on four on this scale. My boyfriend is a stage four. His mess drives me crazy! I compulsively buy things that are supposed to help organize my stuff and then never get around to it. Whenever I watch Hoarders I have to clean something. I know my life would be better with less. I might actually get to do some of those things I love to do.

We use our cellar for garbage, donations and decoration/seasonal stuff. I have what I know I will keep organized but on my minimalist journey (and dragging my three boys and husband with me 😂), it’s been easy to use a catch all area so when I know I can close that chapter of decluttering, everything to sell/donate that we won’t keep will be in one place and all big items that are broken or beyond selling can sit in one area to take to the dump or rent a dumpster for an afternoon to pay one fee for that instead of multiple trips. But it’s definitely out of sight out of mind. We need to actively do something about it before our fourth son is born this winter. ETA: by “drag” I simply mean my husband is on board as long as when I reorganize I tell him where things are located and my boys are young enough to mold to that mindset. They have a more peaceful room and play area now and are much more content with their clothing, toys, etc.

OH WOW! I love this! I have been long followers of the minimalists so HOW FUN to see them with you!

Could you guys do a video on family and friends who feel the need to fill other’s houses or apartments? I have family that will bring either their junk or buy new things to bring to my place, a;ways saying "you’ll need this" or "you’ll find use for this". Discuss how to handle creating boundaries for situations like this and how to sneakily get rid of stuff too 🤣 I appreciate the gifts, please don’t get me wrong, but it creates more clutter or the clutter coffins.

Yeah, cause there aren't food and other shortages right now and going to get worse. We have stocked up on survival stuff and videos like this have my wife wanting to get rid of everything and I mean everything. I'm ok with being organized and minimal life style but these people making my wife think we are horrible horders

I got rid of something everyday for over a year. Often multiple things. Now i have a rule - two things out before i bring one thing in. I also dont browse online or in stores. If i need something i know what i want beforehand and go get only it.

Mugs ☕️ my husband doesn’t even drink any hot drinks… every Christmas and birthday someone buys him a set with a mug in 🙄

proud to be a hoarder. i use it all, sooner or later. ''light amount of clutter in each room and no odor'' as a housecleaner for 35 years, that's the description of a house with people. not even close to real life!

Vases. Love them. So I’ll only pay a dollar for one, I pick wildflowers, fill one and give it/them away. It’s taken me 25 YEARS to clear the bottom drawers, the unreachable floors in the back of the closets and the unreachable attic spaces - there is always more than one

I say I'm going good financially, but I think my husband and I are stage 3/4 hoarder.

I am so glad I came across this video. I'm a level 2 hoarder but my husband is at least a level 4 hoarder. I what I ger rid of out the front door comes through the back door in my husband's hands. I call him a collectables hoarder because I boxes and boxes of N-Scale trains and Hallmark ornaments. I say over 600 hundred paper boxes of both. He adds over 4-5 boxes in ornaments alone a year. He has vegetable trays full of Diecast cars stacked to the ceiling. Since my daughters moved out he has filled the two extra bedrooms with these trays. I never knew soo much stuff could affect a person until my mental health started deteriorating from being able to keep up with it. I'm trying to change myself but my environment shuts my mind down so quick.

What about a drawer full of manuals from all my major appliances lol? I've been working on decluttering and I'm loving it, I have very little furniture, not really any decor, but I still need to organize my garage and I have a ton of tropical plants lol. I managed to clean out my walk in closet and just donated some stuff! It really does help to have only what you need and use regularly too!

This was a fantastic episode! ❤️

Ok so packing up all your things and unpacking what you need over the next three weeks wouldn't work for me. I have books, and hair accessories and clothing that gets used a few times a year, but not necessarily in the next three weeks. Certain dishes get used at Thanksgiving and Christmas only but we still need them and use them. Better to go by the if you haven't used it in the last year rule.

I would say I am a level 1 hoarder normally. However, I have a garage full of stuff because I don't have the mental wherewithal to make decisions right now. I was doing really good till I got pregnant with my 3rd and he is now 8 months old and I still struggle making any decisions above meals, snacks, and what basic chores to do each day. I look forward to when I reach the postpartum phase where making extra decisions is easier again.

I keep all my test papers and notes from way back in 8th grade through college years. Am I considered as level 3 hoarder? Very well organized too. I am 34 now.

The scale they use is the “Clutter-Hoarding Scale” (see The Institute for Challenging Disorganization) and level 1 and 2 are not considered hoarding. The use of the term “hoarder” is offensive and outdated. There are many expert professional organizers who would be far more knowledgeable and certainly kinder that this. It’s a shame you chose non-hoarding experts to discuss this important topic.