My mom was a pack rat...she instilled in me that you have to keep it becuase you never know when you might need it, and the minute you get rid of it, is when you want it.  So I still have that in the back of my mind.  But Like I said...when I need it...I cant' find it.  Then she always said...another's trash is someone else's treasure...so try and sell it...so I have had multiple rummage sales over the years and sold barely anything...so it is hard to let go...because I could make some money out of it...but with 4 kids (ranging from toddler to teen), a full time job, and a part time business, there is NO time to sit and organize it all for sale on ebay or waste 3 days of my time for a rummage sale. I just listed two brand new winter coats that still have the tags on them from when my daughter was a toddler (she is 5.5 yrs old now...that is how long they have been hanging out at my house)...it took me soo long to get those listings posted...that there is NO way I could do that for everything in my house.  It would take me days.  I am to the point where I just want to put it all in my van and dump it at a charity to sort and do what it needs too...and then when it is under control...then i can sell an item here and there as i clear out clutter.

Funny thing about clutter:  It will eventually find it's own destiny.

I, too, struggled with clutter.  Couldn't seem to throw things away, so I'd "store" things in my garage.  
When things started feeling unmanagable, I'd move!! Yes. I would sell my house and move.  LOL  This would force me to clean that clutter.  Now, if that isn't enough, When my clutter couldn't fit into my new home, I'd pay for it to be stored.  And as you might figure, time would go by so fast, I wouldn't be missing anything, and before I would know it, I'd lose the whole darn storage for failure to pay on time!!
Yes, I can review my loses (which I painfully do from time to time) OR, I can look at the learning experience behind it:  You can't lose a whole lot, if you don't have a whole lot.
Or better yet, my lack of will power to keep things orderly, has been mostly due to the fact that when things start piling up, it's so over-whelming, I can barely make a move.....it so naturally sounds Feng Shui....anyway, I know things have tendancy to replace themselves, but it has become so serene and easy to manage now that my clutter is gone.  I really have changed. My need to "keep" things is very managable.  I like simple things now, and I feel my life is richer for the experience of my clutter loss!! (and also much tidy-er)   (AND, I'm not spending so much time straightening up anymore!)

Lisamarie, you've obviously paid attention to things that develop into monsters for you!

Comfort29, my mom and dad were both packrats.  When they finally decided to start getting rid of a few things, they sold the best things for too little and hung onto things that had little or no value.  

Chip away and things.  An hour here and there is better than nothing.  I know what your mom means, however.  When someone needs something, they call me because I'm the one who will probably have it.

I also have a problem with "hanging on to things".  My kids always ride me about that.  However, here's what happened this week.  When I moved into my new place last September, my kids helped me with the big stuff.  I had hung onto some things that they thought were totally ridiculous.  One of them was a large frame that had held a mirror.  The mirror broke when my daughter last moved.  She was going to trash the frame but I thought it might be something I'd like to have, so I kept it.  Originally, I thought I'd mount some art in there.  This week, I was going through some boxes and I found a book about tapestries.  I thought it'd be fun to try my hand and weaving.  One of the suggestions in the book was to make a small loom out of an old picture frame.  I went to the pole barn and pulled that old frame out of storeage and made a loom.  Sometimes, things come in handy!  

Also, this week, I found a bunch of old necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  I took a some pieces apart, combined them with fabric and made curtains out of them.  

I could've thrown these things out.  For some reason, I knew I needed to keep them.  There's a difference, for me, in knowing I need to keep something and feeling compelled to keep something.  The latter is not as comfortable as the first.

Pray for discernment and you'll get it.

well for an update...I have been cleaning clutter for the last month.  One room at a time.  Even my neighbors have commented on the amount of garbage I have been putting out at the curb suddenly each week.  But it feels wonderful and freeing.  I cleared out 1/4 of my basement that we were using as a small family room...and cleaned it out...and now it can be used as a family room again.  When I go down to the basement...my goal has been to grab something and bring it up (mostly for garbage) I have cleaned out every room except my daughters room so far...and still need to do the closets.  And even threw out a ton of stuff in my garage.   I still have alot of items in my small house...but there is alot less, and they are having a place to be put away.  When I feel that things are content for me...then I will start eliminating more thing that are being stored.  I have had no urge to shop other then for groceries...because I don't want more "stuff" in my house until I get things under control.  I have been hauling out a bag of garbage or more a day. hauling out bags of clothes for charity or friends.  Just the acts of doing this has pumped up my part time business, and family is helping out a bit more.  I feel liberated.

What makes your post interesting is that unlike the adage "you never know when it might come in handy" you actually use the stuff! So for my clutter problem you have inspired me to think of a real concrete definite use within a specific time frame (week/ month/ etc) and STICK to it!