School is finally done, and I’m only waiting for graduation next week. I went back home and brought my things with me. Obviously, my old stuff is still here, so we decided to declutter and throw away things that are no longer useful.
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I remember always keeping things, thinking, “This could be helpful soon,” so I ended up hoarding a lot of useless and unnecessary items. While decluttering, I decided to take pictures of some of my old stuff just for fun and memories—I’m sharing them on Hive so at least I still have them, even if it’s just in pictures.
When you're studying—especially civil engineering—you accumulate a lot of scratch paper from solving problems. I still had scratch papers, exams, quizzes, and notebooks. I sorted out the ones I’ll still need, like the notebook filled with notes and formulas for a specific subject. I might take the board exam soon, so saving that could be useful for review.
I threw away my previous exams and quizzes. I kept thinking I’d use them for reviewing, but I was wrong. I also threw out the scratch papers that were just taking up space. Getting rid of them was a lifesaver—I have more space now, and my workspace looks much better.
Believe it or not, I still had some of my childhood toys—a remote-control car older than my younger sister and even a remote-control helicopter. Having these toys is cool, at least for guys… or maybe it’s just me.
I also found a Snakes and Ladders board, a chessboard, and other toys I forgot to take pictures of. It was hard letting them go because they held sentimental value. The toy car, for example, was the first remote-control car I ever had—it no longer works, but just seeing it brought back memories.
The Snakes and Ladders board came from a class exchange gift in sixth grade. I still remember how everyone wanted it, and I was lucky enough to get it. Despite the memories, I decided to let them go to overcome my hoarding habit.
I didn’t throw them away, though—I gave them to a kid in our neighborhood. Their mom said the kids played with them until 11:00 PM that night. It feels great to make someone happy with a small gesture.
Who else keeps phone boxes after buying a device? I think most Filipinos do this—and I’m one of them. I kept them thinking I might need them for warranty.
The boxes on the left side were my brother’s, and the right side was mine. I even kept the box for my smartwatch. But today, I finally threw them out because I realized I won’t be using them anymore.
I was surprised when I found some Valentine cards in my cabinet, and I laughed at the messages. They weren’t from admirers, but from friends and classmates back in elementary school.
I didn’t throw these away. I told myself I’d read them during a reunion and show them to my old classmates so we could laugh and reminisce. I’m still close with them, so it wouldn’t be awkward at all.
I found a cap from my sixth-grade jamborette. It’s still in good condition, so I included it in the things I’ll be giving away.
Next, there’s a bag I received from my aunt when I was in elementary school. I used it every Christmas to collect money from godparents and relatives. I used it for years and even saved over Php 1,000 each time, which felt like a fortune as a kid.
I also found my old music notebook from when I was learning to play the clarinet. I didn’t pursue it because I had to prioritize school. The training wasn’t in school—it was with a private band.
I even bought a clarinet, but I stopped attending because gigs sometimes clashed with class schedules. I was afraid of sacrificing school for music. I don’t see myself playing it again, so I want to sell the instrument—let me know if you’re interested!
Lastly, I found our Rubik’s Cube notebook. My uncle taught us how to solve it, and we realized you didn’t need to be super smart—just memorize the algorithms. We even printed and pasted the patterns in a notebook.
My brother and I were the ones who made Rubik’s Cube popular at school. I even taught some friends how to solve it. It was a cool skill to impress people, so if you don’t know it yet, go learn the basics!
I found a lot of small clothes in my cabinet. Some are still in good condition, so I gave them away instead of throwing them out. I separated the good ones from those too worn out to give away. The latter I’ll either throw out or use as rags.
Decluttering is a good habit—I always do it to keep my space clean and organized. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of things, thinking they might be useful.
But here’s a simple tip: if you haven’t used something for 3–6 months, it might be a sign to give it away. Start having a minimalist mindset and break free from hoarding.
But you know what the best part of decluttering is? Finding money while cleaning! I found Php 287 while organizing, and I think that’s your sign to declutter too!
All images are mine unless stated otherwise.
