RE: But it Might Be USEFUL Someday — How We End Up Hoarding Things!
For years, my husband was keeping extra building supplies for when he built a house. Decades later, the building codes have changed and a lot of the stuff he saved is obsolete. Eventually, he threw it out. At least 10,000 lbs of stuff!!
Neither of us are hoarders (in the clinical sense as you suggest), but we definitely suffer from sub-clinical hoardyness. :-P
Post Covid-19--meaning post end of leaving the house--I find that I truly do have a lot of superfluous stuff. I have too many clothes that I suspect I will never wear again. After a year of wearing slippers, I do not believe I will be able to imprison my feet into shoes ever again. You do not even want to know what I fear about bras.
Then there are the dishes. Do I need all this servingware when no one will visit? Will anyone ever visit me again?
Maybe I will need all this stuff. Maybe life will revert to what it was before and I will need my fancy chip and dip bowls....
I don't remember where, but it was one of those handy/home improvement type shows where one of the rules of thumb for not accumulating too much stuff was to ask yourself how much you really need something if you haven't had it out or touched it in a year. It didn't mean you had to throw it away, just that you needed to pause and think about it.
I've been trying to follow that guideline this year and it's surprising how much we have that exists entirely as "just in case" backups!
HAH! I know that technique and I feel it just adds anxiety. I think it is easier to throw out everything. Once, my house burned and I managed to get rid of almost everything. :-P