Update on Hoarding- an emotional thing

To answer some comments-

My hoarding is not based in preparing for a riany day or a stormy day- in fact it is quite the opposite.  If I just had my needs plus a little more, then I might say I was being prepared.  but mine is diffierent.  It is an emotional need to look in a cabinet and see food and then choosing not to eat it, forcing me to throw it away at a later date.

The food I found Sunday night had been in my cabinet for over a year in some cases- I had condiments in my fridge that I bought 5 years ago- never opened.

This is a need to say that I can provide for myself, that I will not go hungry, that I will never be at the point I was at a a child. 

it is not healthy- it is not being a good steward of my resources, it is not teaching hijo to be prepared or to live with what he has.  It is a emotional, scared child response.  I need to break it.

So by reorganizing, I can recognize it for what it is and I can deal with it.  I have a weekly menu for us, I have rewards for eating at home all in the hopes that doing this through the work week will help me to use the food I have stored and will teach me to not be wasteful.

On the plus side, I save money by using what I have, I save money by not eating out and I and Hijo eat healthier.

I am a work in progress, so this is a good thing for me.

And to be clear- I am not one of the folks that runs to the store before a winter storm or other weather related events. 

Love and hugs,
Deb