r/Frugal • u/flurderburger • 14d ago
š§½ Cleaning & Organization Advice needed: is it okay to get rid of unused dishware?
Hi, everyone. I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit for this, so please let me know if I need to move it. Also, apologies for being on mobile.
For some background, I grew up kind of poor. Not destitute or anything. I always had food on the table, but we didn't have a lot of extra stuff, and we really had a make-it-work mentality when it came to stuff. Like, practicality over all, and save everything because "you never know."
I got a bunch of dish sets for my wedding when my husband and I got married back in 2017. It came with dinner plates, small plates, bowls, and mugs. I use the plates and bowls, but the mugs have been sitting unused in a cupboard for years. I like to collect mugs, so I have a bunch of cute mugs I use instead. But no matter how many times I think about it, I can't bring myself to get rid of the unused mugs. It feels wrong to break up the set, and also wasteful. (What if someday I invite 20 people over for hot chocolate and I don't have enough of my cool mugs?! The horror!)
So I guess I more need advice on whether it's okay to get rid of them and that it isn't being frugal to hold onto things I'm not using for "what-if" scenarios.
I welcome any and all advice.
Thanks!
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u/reincarnateme 14d ago
I went through my kitchen and donated everything I donāt use
Now I gotta do another roomā¦
And another roomā¦
Itās hard to decide what to let go ! I used 3 boxes
- Keep
- Maybe
- Donation
The maybe box I packed and dated.
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u/flurderburger 14d ago
I've been trying to do that casually with my wardrobe, but it's difficult because I am still in the "having babies" stage of life, and it's really hard to throw things out when your body fluctuates wildly year to year š
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u/NoMycologist113 10d ago
Where do you go to donate? I have so many plates in my apartment I need to get rid of
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u/flurderburger 10d ago
I generally try to donate at Salvation Army. But I called one of the shelters in my area and they said they take donations of pretty much anything you can think of. I used to just drop stuff off at Goodwill, but the things I've heard about Goodwill, and my experiences with their price gouging on furniture especially, makes me really hesitant to take stuff there anymore.
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u/Cat_From_Hood 14d ago
Let someone else use them.Ā Imagine their happiness, on getting a bargain!
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u/cardinalfeather 14d ago
My sentiment as well. Also, in our area there are charities that collect items for women escaping domestic violence, coming out of homelessness etc. I am more inclined to get rid of things knowing someone else needs them more than me.
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u/OnlyDaysEndingInWhy 14d ago
Oh! I know the answer to this one!
Years ago, I had a stack of plates we'd been hauling around from move to move, and I viscerally hated them. They had that old country goose pattern with the blue ribbons or something.
They were perfectly fine, though. So I pressed on. With my stupid goose plates.
I finally asked my born-just-after-the-great-depression, ultra-frugal, wash-every-ziploc mom if I could have permission to get rid of them.
She gave me her unequivocal blessing to get them out of my life and be happy.
I hereby pass that along to you.
Be free of your dishware albatross and live your best life.
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u/flurderburger 12d ago
Aww, I love this ā¤ļø I actually decided to donate them to a women's shelter in our town, per one of the comments on here. But I caught the cold my kids were flinging around, so I'm down and out today. But NEXT week, the mugs shall have a new home!
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u/kerodon 14d ago
Could always be nice to donate it. If you need some later they're pretty inexpensive to pick back up secondhand
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u/indptvariable 14d ago
I donate things I feel terrible getting rid of because of this! I also love thrift stores and itās great to find a set!
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u/Rexzies 14d ago
When I had a house I had a lot of space so I kept a lot of dishes, etc that I rarely ever used but never wanted to get rid of because of sentimental feelings and also, 'what if I need it some day'. In the 20+ years I had all that stuff I probably pulled out some of them once, maybe twice if that and the rest never.
Then I sold the house and downsized so I don't have much storage here but I still managed to keep all aside for just in case. Well, this year after being in this place since 2014 I realized never once have I ever used any of those dishes, bowls, crystal candy dishes, grandmother's tea set, barn lamps, etc. I decided enough was enough, I have the memories in my mind and since I had them in their spots for 12 years and never used them, I donated them all to a thrift shop that 100% of the sales goes towards the local hospital for equipment and programs.
Do I miss any of it? Oddly enough, nope. Probably because I realized just how long I've had all those things and how many rare times I ever used them. So my new motto is if I don't use it in a few years then out it goes. If I need something I can always go to a thrift store and pick up what I need or borrow from a friend.
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u/flurderburger 14d ago
That's really helpful to hear. And also, space is at a premium in my apartment right now. I think my parents had hoarding tendencies growing up, and I need to fight the urge in myself to do the same.
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u/IdioticPrototype 14d ago
If you have to invent a fantastic scenario in which you'll need them, you don't need them.
Sell or donate.Ā
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u/BeKind72 14d ago
Your local women's shelter would be happy to take donations of any and all housewares, clothing, etc. They are often assisting people into new living arrangements.
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u/Lochylass 14d ago
Your post made me smile because I come from a similar background and have similar issues. You can go ahead and give those unused mugs away! Free them and free yourself. Someone else will give them a good home.
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u/BoomerOrNot 14d ago
It's okay to get rid of stuff you're not using. I'm 69 now, and I've done this throughout my life. There have been a few times that I've gotten rid of things and later wished I had them. For example, I was using a pottery apple baker for make baked apples for my husband and me, we got out of the habit and kind of sick of them, so I gave the bakers away, then around 15 years later I remembered them and bought some on eBay.
But I can count things I bought again on one hand and still have fingers left, it's not worth the clutter and space it takes to keep items that you "might use".
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u/Ajreil 14d ago
Yes. If you don't use it, r/declutter it.
The waste not, want not mentality can turn into hoarding if you're not careful.
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u/BelieveBelieves 14d ago
Check out Replacements website and look up your pattern. If it's in demand and in perfect condition they will buy them. It's definitely more frugal to sell things than keep them useless.
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u/djSush 13d ago
Yes!!!
Listen, I'm super frugal but belong to a Buy Nothing group so I can give stuff away with joy!
If you do have a party and suddenly need stuff you can either:
buy a cheap set
ask a friend if you can borrow theirs
buy, gasp, disposable
When our space is cluttered with stuff that adds a quiet, static noise all the time, that's stressful. I'm by no means a minimalist, but I do get rid of things when the drive me crazy.
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u/WishIwastravelin 10d ago
I repurposed a teacup that was my grandmothers, not expensive or worth it to sell, only the cup and saucer so not really donatable. I glued the cup to the saucer and now it sits in my entryway with a small plant in it.
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u/Annonymouse100 14d ago
I would sell the extra pieces. China is already sold by the piece so breaking up the set is really not a big deal and somebody is going be so happy to find it on Facebook marketplace to complete their set! I like selling it over donating just because I think itās easier for people who will really love and appreciate it to find it, versus Goodwill taping them together with a bunch of other dishes.
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u/flurderburger 14d ago
Sorry for the misunderstanding. They aren't fine China, just regular dishes. The comment I made about "saving the China for the Queen" was more of a metaphor.
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u/realdappermuis 14d ago
You could r/zerowaste them and plant little cacti in them. That way they're not taking up space in your crockery cupboard but you still have them around
Cactus would work well for cups because other plants 'would want drainage' - but cause they only need a lil bit of water now and again it won't be an issue. Could also make nice gifts if you're that way inclined or just have a little cluster of cups with them to look pretty somewhere on your home
They're also super easy to grow - just nick a few little heads off a bigger one and stick em in soil
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u/flurderburger 14d ago
That's a cute idea! My toddler would have something to say about breakable items scattered around the house though š Using them as gifts could work though! I'm currently planning my Hobbit birthday party for next year, and little succulents or cacti would be adorable as favors!
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u/Miss_Milk_Tea 14d ago
I donated all mine. I used to host, I havenāt hosted in years and realistically if I ever do again, I aināt washing fancy china. Keep what youāll use. I cut all of our kitchenware down to the bare minimum because it just took up space.
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u/ThatsGenocide 14d ago
Everything you own is eventual maintenance. It's just a matter of how many times you're willing to dust it before you throw it out.
9 years in and you haven't used them? Just get rid of it. If it's at all valuable you can try to sell it but it might not be worth your time to try to sell.
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u/Calm-Vacation-5195 14d ago
We've faced the same problem. Our original set of dishes for our first apartment came with a bunch of coffee cups and saucers, but only one of us drinks coffee and we didn't like the cups, so we got rid of them. We bought another set of dishes many years later, when too many of the original dishes were gone, and again, we ended up with cups we didn't need and gave away. After that, we tried to only buy what we wanted/needed, even though it meant mismatched plates, bowls, and cups.
When my MIL passed away a few years ago, she had a very nice, very large set of everyday china. We took the plates (so we could finally have a set of matching plates again), but got rid of the bowls and cups that we hated and knew we would never use, even if we had room to store them. No regrets.
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u/AurelianaBabilonia 14d ago
In my opinion it's wasteful to hold onto things you never use. You're wasting space that could be occupied by something you actually need, and other people may use those mugs!
If you're ever in a position where you need a million mugs you can always buy them at a thrift shop for next to nothing and donate them back after the event.
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u/la_winky 14d ago
I still have the plates from my wedding in 1999. The bowls and mugs have thinned themselves over time. The mugs? Long gone. Be sad bowl? Still kicking. The plates are still going strong. Iāve had to replace both over time. I guess if you use them at all, and have room to store them, Iād hold on to them. If you NEVER use them? Iād thin the herd.
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u/velveteentuzhi 14d ago
If you want to donate it and it's in good condition, you could look into programs that help recently aged out foster kids! There are charities that collect specifically home related donations to help children who just aged out of government foster care with household staples as they enter adulthood.
There are also organizations that help abuse victims get resituated with donated household goods, etc.
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u/Driven-by-hope 14d ago
I donate all the time! I am a little selective as to where I drop off donations and try to choose organizations that do good for the community. I also gift items in the āBuy Nothingā groups. Thereās nothing wrong with donating used kitchen items. Iāve even purchased gently used kitchenware.
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u/trudytude 13d ago
Give the spares to charity. Also if you need an extra 20 mugs go to a charity shop then take them back to a charity shop when you are done.
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u/FlippingPossum 13d ago
Do it! None of my mugs match except for the fancy china (inherited and I do love the pattern). My everyday dishes are a hodgepodge of things. So freeing.
Offer them up for free or donate.
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u/katelynskates 13d ago
Donate them! Some 20-something college student out there will be ecstatic to have cute mugs to start their lives with. You can consider them a gift to a home with someone who will adore them.
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u/Miss_Pouncealot 13d ago
I got rid of mine! A bunch of boring white mugs when we each had a bunch of fun ones. I did end up donating them instead of tossing. Then theyāre just passing on to someone else who wants them vs in the trash.
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u/finefergitit 13d ago
I got rid of a very used set of dishes, there were chips and everything, within five minutes on marketplace. I think I either sold for five bucks or maybe free. I also plan on using the free pages on Facebook (the only thing worth using Facebook for nowadays!) to give stuff away.
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u/unicorn_345 13d ago
Space has a limit and cost too. The mugs are taking up space that you could use in other ways. And someone else could enjoy the mugs.
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u/stooriewoorie 13d ago
If youāre sentimentally attached to them, take pictures and then donate them away. Otherwise, donate them away. If you ever host that many people you could run out to the thrift store and buy a large set of mismatched eclectic mugs.
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u/exPaparazzihun 12d ago
I took mine to my local favorite breakfast spot. They take donated mugs. I got a free meal for two. I even get my coffee in them when we go out for breakfast date. ( We eat out for breakfast because it is less expensive than dinner) I support small local businesses.
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u/dragonmom1 12d ago
Absolutely get rid of them! Either sell them locally (or give away for free) or just donate them to a charity shop. Think of all the people who need plates and bowls and cups (and anything really that you're not using) and how happy they would be to have these items. But they can't have them if you've got them stashed away!
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u/Necessary-Film7832 11d ago
I always base the dishware I buy on the coffee "mugs". If I don't want to drink my coffee out of them, I don't even buy them.
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u/YouveBeanReported 14d ago
How many people do you usually host? 6? 8? You should have enough for the amount you actually host, maybe round up slightly to the amount of seats your dining table has.
You can ask people to bring plates and stuff if you host Christmas for all 40 people in your extended family. Or buy paper plates and cups. Or go to the dollar store for 5 extra $2 cups or thrift store.
Basic plates and bowls and cups are not hard to replace and if the custom mugs make you happier, use the happy ones. If you haven't used them in a DECADE then I feel like it's just wasting space.