Don't ask for a picture. I don't want to embarrass Ed. His gardener's son has spent two days each week cleaning out Ed's two 3 car garages. He's given some stuff aka junk away and kept some for himself. There have been at least 4 garbage cans stuffed each week. Another neighbor's son had one of those big containers in his driveway after his parents died.

It gave a wake up call. I have started dumping everything that I haven't used in three years. What is your limit? Any pictures. Remember a TV series called Sanford and Son?

It took me two months and 2 sales to get dads stuff cleaned out. And I had to add a 10x20 and 20x20 sheds to store the stuff I kept.

We can be gone in an hour.

Exactly,. my FIL had a garage, 15-x40 storage building, 2 10-16 storage buildings, a covered shed storage area (not to mention inside house) that is absolutely full of crap. 2 daughters and 2 son in laws have spent 2 full days (large roll off filled within a few hours, a dozen pickup load trips to donation center, and countless garbage cans and large black bags for waste disposal and we have only scratched the surface. It is a great burden.

My 78 year old father in the last 2 months has been giving away, clearing out, having barn/yard sale and hauling off to donation and dump lots of stuff. He has almost emptied house. He said he has been witnessing burden on children of their parent's stuff and he does not want to put that on his kids so he said come get what you want or it may be sold and given away. He had a 2 day sale last week and then loaded up 40' trailer with all left over and took to donation center.

Other than tools and hunting and fishing stuff, I don't collect much.

Yes I remember Sanford and Son, this is one of the best scene:

But.....but.....but.….I might need it some day!

Poor Ed. Looks as if he will have to get his aerobic system replaced or repaired. The closest truck had 4 men with spades. The van is from Katy Plumbing.



Some of you scoffed at assisted living. But just think. No more property taxes, homeowners insurance, TV dish, wi fi problems, and the list goes on.

Your tree is about to give up the ghost

Well articulated

It's been hanging on for 4 years. I decided to pick up the dead limbs a little at a time rather than pay $2,000 to have in done and gone.

Bill if you have that root flare exposed that tree will live...............look at the root flare on the tree across the road. That's how yours should look to be healthy.

Sounds like my wife

All I have to do is out live my wife. Three piles, sell, donate, trash.

I hear they frown upon walking around in your birthday suit.

my FIL was really bad at hanging onto stuff that he "might" need or "might" fix ... some day. We worked numerous weekends loading scrap metal and hauling off to a scrap metal place ... over 80,000 lbs worth. Found dozens of old coffee tin cans filled with bent nails, miss matched screws/nuts/washers/springs/etc. I don't think he ever threw anything metal away during the 50+ years at their old house.

If you can feed, wipe and medicate yourself it's cheaper to stay at home. Assisted living is not cheap. $3500+ per month.
One place here in the metroplex charges $2500 per month when you go into the system. Your $2500 per month doesn't go up (the part you write a check for). But the kicker is- when your costs go up- and they will- the difference above the $2500 per month is taken out of the 350k$ deposit you have to put down to get in.

He's on a walker. He can afford it. He only has on heir.

Hope it ain't Hillary!

I finally got my gun collection down (the wife won't have much to deal with their) but I have a huge antique tool collection and knives & misc. the tools are top shelf carpenter tools??

I had to put my mom in the special care unit in Elkhart, Ks. $5000. per month, worth every penny

The last two years of Mom's life were in a home setting, 800 yards as the crow flies from my house, with a Romanian family. We couldn't have asked for better care. They even tried to hold Bible study with some of their residents. The couple's bedroom was 10' away from Mom's room. I had my doubts at first, but it was the most personal care you can get. $4K a month. "Memory Care" in a corporate facility, adding in around the clock sitters, etc. would cost well over 3 times that.

I'm still accumulating.....

We just got back from dinner. He still drove and still has his pride. He refused to park in the handicap parking. He's the past CFO of an offshore drilling company, and a vetren. You don't get there from being dumb.

Some of the comments are made without the full info. There are several types of retirement centers and the cost can vary a lot between all of them. Some are almost at the level of being in a hospital with around the clock care, others offer less services.

A friend in Kansas lived in a retirement center, he has a 1 bedroom, bath, kitchen apartment. There is a 24 hour nurse on call, and a Doctor on call. Housekeeping is optional, laundry service is provided and a meal plan choice of 1 to 3 meals a day. Fully handicapped equipped. Covered parking and a shuttle bus service for shopping and appointments. He can come and go as he pleases, he has family that lives near by, they come and pick him up. His said his cost is not that much higher than living in an equal sized apartment.